No Good Deed
by Seldes Katne
Summary: Set during TPM. Gungan Captain Tarpals's command rescues several of their people from captivity, only to find they have liberated a handful of humans as well. Now the combined group faces wilderness hardships, droid scouts, and mutual distrust as they s
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: All recognizable Star Wars characters and concepts belong to George Lucas. The author is making no money or other form of profit from this story (other than enjoying the chance to visit the Star Wars universe).

Many thanks and mounds of chocolate to my beta-reader Kaeli, for proofing this story in less than a month, despite large segments written in "Gunganese". A full Third Mounted Patrol cavalry salute to her!

~*~*~*~

No Good Deed

By Seldes Katne

Hidden amongst the forest undergrowth, two Gungans watched the company of droids move past.

"There's only the one armed vehicle," the heavyset scout told his companion. "The other two seem to be strictly for transport. Three dozen _maccaneeks_, with only hand-weapons."

"You're sure they're transporting our people?" 

"Yes. They seem to have come across a small group of us, probably from one of the outlying settlements. My guess is that they're taking them to one of the places in which they're also holding the _Naaboo_." He glanced sideways at the other Gungan, a lean, grey-skinned member of the Otolla race named Tarpals. 

Tarpals grimaced. The _Naaboo_ weren't his concern. "They're heading into the Kintar region, aren't they? There's more forest than swamp in that area, if I remember right." 

The other nodded. "I think so." He peered thoughtfully at the vehicles skimming the ground a _cesta_'s cast away. "These _maccaneeks_ are pretty far away from any of the areas inhabited by the _Naaboo_." 

"That's all right. We'll use it to our advantage. Let's get the others." The two Gungans carefully eased their way through the forest growth, leaving the transport vehicles behind. A few minutes later they located their _kaadu_, the two-legged reptilian creatures that served as cavalry animals for the Gungans' Mounted Patrols, and rode to rejoin the rest of Tarpals's temporary command. 

Nearly a full eight-days had passed since the invaders had arrived. The Gungans had known about the _maccaneeks_ almost from the moment the first ships had landed. The huge transport vehicles that crashed through the forest, panicking the local wildlife and carving their own roads by pushing over every tree in their path, hadn't exactly been inconspicuous. The first report had been brought in by a most unlikely source -- the exiled Gungan Jar Jar Binks and his two Outsider companions, who were seeking transportation to the _Naaboo_ city of Theed. Although Binks and the Outsiders had been sent on their way almost immediately, the reports of the mechanical army had continued to come in from the outlying settlements and hunting parties. While the army seemed to be concentrating their attention on the Naaboo, the human inhabitants of the planet, the Gungan population grew uneasy. 

Tarpals had sent word to his superior officers, General Ceel and General Yoss, and activated the first groups of the Otoh Gunga militia. Every able-bodied Gungan received at least a minimal amount of military training, in preparation for emergencies such as natural disasters or attacks by creatures of the Abyss. Only a small number of Gungans served as career military, most of them as members of the Mounted Patrols. Three of the Patrols were permanently active; Tarpals's own command, the Third, served as the protectors and law enforcement officers of Otoh Gunga, the principle Gungan city, and its closest settlements. 

Before the sun set on the first day of the invasion, Gungan scouts had been dispatched to the smaller settlements, carrying the news and beginning the task of alerting military reservists. Patrol members took up posts in the forests surrounding Lake Paonga. Within days of the first sightings of the invaders, a small fleet of underwater vehicles had entered Lake Paonga and struck at the city. 

The underwater defenses that kept the large aquatic monsters out of Gungan territory had proven mostly ineffectual. The city's patrols, using artillery mounted on the lake bad and mid-sized _bon-gho_ submarines, had held the invaders long enough to allow most of the populace to flee, and the Ruling Council had gone with them, escorted by most of the professional soldiers. The _militiagungs_, voluntary part time soldiers, had stayed behind to cover the last of the evacuees. The remainder of Tarpals's command had provided leadership and support. Then, gathering what was left of the defenders, Tarpals had order the final retreat, and the troops had pulled out of Lake Paonga. 

At the surface the Gungans had met the larger land vehicles; the battle had given the _maccaneeks_ time to call up reinforcements. The _militiagungs_ had scattered, roughly a third of them meeting the captain at a prearranged rendezvous point; hard on their heels had come the droid army. Familiar with the swamplands, Tarpals had led his group in a strike on the enemy forces, providing a distraction to cover the main evacuation. The _maccaneek_ land vehicles had proven much more susceptible to the Gungans' weapons; the blue energy _buumas_ that could stun and paralyze living creatures apparently destroyed whatever powered the _maccaneeks_ as well. The offensive move had surprised the _maccaneeks_ and shattered their attack. Drawing the remains of the droid army after them, Tarpals's command had retreated into the forest before destroying the few _maccaneek_ scouts that followed. The Gungans had effectively lost their enemies. 

Now, nearly two days later, the group was circling back around in the direction of the Sacred Place, but it might be as long as an eight-days before they would be able to rejoin their people. Groups of _maccaneeks_ still searched the forests and swamps for them. 

The composition of the Gungan group was another complication. Many of them were _militiagungs_, with limited military experience. While all of them acknowledged Tarpals as the commanding officer, he knew none of them well. Worse, his second-in-command, Ven Artil, was among the missing. The _naamana-rissah_ was now on his way to the Sacred Place, escorting the last of the Gungan leadership and other civilians. That had been necessary, but unfortunate. Artil served as the heart of the Third; Tarpals knew his people respected him, but they genuinely liked Artil, who had a flair for gaining confidences and working well with others. 

Still, morale was good -- there were several extra _kaadu_, and three of the ungainly but powerful _falumpasets_, herd animals that looked like a cross between a horse and a dromedary. The group had hidden the light artillery the _falumpasets_ normally pulled, although Tarpals doubted the _maccaneeks_ would even recognize the weapon for what they were. Now the _falumpasets_ served as pack animals. 

Running across the _maccaneek_ convoy had been a matter of luck. The scout who had noticed them, an Ankuran Gungan named Peskis, had actually been seeking edibles at the time. Unlike the heavy machinery that had pushed its way through the forest when the army first landed, the convoy had only one light tank, a prisoner transport, and a dozen _maccaneeks_ riding either the transport vehicle or single-droid flyers. Tarpals's group consisted of two dozen mounted riders. 

Raiding the convoy would not only free captives and give the Gungans a chance to strike back at the invaders, but would also be a valuable exercise in working together. If the convoy was carrying extra food or other supplies for the captives, so much the better. 

The two Gungans rejoined the group, and the remainder of the riders gathered around them. Peskis's dark green armband proclaimed him as a member of the Desna patrol, which covered one of the smaller outlying settlements. Tarpals had never seen him before the emergency rendezvous, but he seemed to be middle-aged, and carried himself with a quiet self-confidence. The Captain assigned him two scouts, one carrying a message horn, and sent him to flank the convoy. The rest of the Gungans rode hard to pass the _maccaneeks_, and then spread themselves out among the trees ahead of the convoy and waited.

His _kaadu_ crouched amidst a clump of low-growing brush, Tarpals listened as a low moaning sound echoed through the forest. The sound was similar to noises made by several animals, but Tarpals had served long enough in the military to recognize it as a signal horn call. From the notes and pauses, he knew that his three scouts had carefully and quietly destroyed four of the flying escorts. Tarpals glanced to his right; his hands moved in the signs of the _chesna-recorr_, the hand and finger language used by hunters and soldiers to speak to one another without making a sound. The rider, a Patrol member named Jenais, nodded and urged his _kaadu_ to its feet. Motioning to four of the _militiagungs_, he led the way forward to set up an attack position from which to swing in and strike the convoy from the front. 

The biggest threat was the tank, with its heavier gun. The Gungans hit the convoy from the rear first, concentrating fire on the _maccaneeks_ riding the transports and the flyers. As the cannon swung around to blast the attackers, the second group of attackers swept in from the front; two of the riders leaped from their mounts onto the top of the tank. As one pried at the troop compartment lid, the second tossed a _buuma_ into the narrow slit that served as the view port. With a muffled "flump!" the _buuma_ exploded, and the tank sagged sideways, the cannon falling silent. Within a few minutes, the Gungans had dispatched the remainder of the _maccaneeks_, and the transports ground to a halt. 

For a few moments the newly reformed group exchanged glances and peered at the motionless vehicles cautiously. Then grins and cheers broke out among most of the riders. Some of the veteran patrol members slapped the _militiagungs_ on the backs and shoulders in congratulatory gestures. The first fight had been won. 

"Let's get our people out of those things," Tarpals ordered his aide, Rell Iss Tonn. "Call in reserves." Rell Iss blew the "all clear" on his message horn. The two riders left to guard the extra mounts appeared a few minutes later, leading the animals at a run. 

The Gungans quickly disposed of the door locks on the transport. A timid Gungan face appeared in the doorway of one transport; upon seeing his rescuers, he turned to the rest of the passengers. "Issen okeyday -- theysa oursan troops!" 

"What's with the _Bassic_?" asked Rell Iss. Tarpals shook his head, equally puzzled. A moment later they got their answer. The newly freed Gungan swung down, followed by four more Gungans -- and then the face of a _Naaboo_ appeared.

In addition to five Gungans, the patrol had rescued nearly a dozen humans – a rather heavy-set older female, a trio of adolescents, and a handful of children.

"Getten everyone outten there," Tarpals instructed his patrol, using the Gungan form of _Bassic_ for the benefit of the humans. Scouts were already rigging saddles for the _falumpasets_, which could carry three or four small riders. "See if there's anything in those vehicles we can use," Tarpals instructed Peskis in High Gungan; the Ankuran motioned one of his scouts over to help him raid the transport. 

Tarpals turned to the human woman, who tilted her head back to look up at him. "Yousan free to go," he told her. "My suggest yousan gettens 'way from here right 'long. The _maccaneeks_ will comen to see what's happ'ned to theysan." He nodded at the wreckage of the convoy. 

To his surprise, the woman's face took on a frightened look. "Go? Go where? We're in the middle of the wilderness -- there's no civilization anywhere near. We'll starve before we can reach any of our towns or cities." 

Surith Herns, a corporal whose arm bore the dark blue armband of the Kintar settlement, leaned over to another Gungan and laughed. "Is she kidding?" he asked in High Gungan. "It's summer -- you can't go a stone's throw into the forest without tripping over something to eat. How have they survived all this time?" 

His companion tilted her head to one side in the Gungan equivalent of a shrug. "Who knows? Maybe their food falls out of the skies and they just have to pick it up and eat it." 

"We don't even know where the closest town is," the woman was saying. "Please, for the sake of the children, you have to help us." 

"No, we don't," Herns muttered. "You're the ones the _maccaneeks_ want, not us." Rell Iss turned in the saddle and frowned at him; Herns gazed evenly back at him. 

Tarpals stared at the human for a moment; then with a jerk of his head, he motioned Herns over. "At one time, the nearest _Naaboo_ settlement was in what they call the Tendesay foothills. Has that changed?" 

Herns shook his head. "No, it's still there. They're going to have quite a walk to get there, though -- it's a good three-day ride." 

Tarpals nodded, looking thoughtful, and Herns continued. "Captain, we need to get our people to the Sacred Place. This _maccaneek_ army is still searching the woods for us. And the longer we stay here, the more likely it is that their reinforcements will arrive." 

"We need to get moving," Tarpals agreed. He waved to Peskis, who trotted his _kaadu_ over to join them. "Get all of the animals saddled. Let's see how many people we can fit on the three _falumpasets_." Peskis nodded and moved off, calling to his two scouts to help him. 

"Captain --" Herns began, but Tarpals cut him off. 

"We can't leave the _Naaboo_ stranded here. Even our own children wouldn't survive long under the circumstances." 

"If we leave the _Naaboo_ here, the _maccaneeks_ may well be content with rounding them back up," Herns protested. "This army is invading the _Naaboo _territory. If nothing else, these _Naaboo_ will provide a distraction for the _maccaneeks_ and give us time to get out of the area." 

Tarpals looked him squarely in the eye. "I have no more sympathy for the _Naaboo_ than you do, Corporal," here he sighed and shook his head, "but I also can't just ride out of here and leave a group of children behind. They've done nothing to deserve this. We can't abandon them any more than we could a group of our own young." He straightened up in the saddle and switched to _Bassic_. "Wesan tekkin' yousan as far as Tendesay. Theysa village there. After that, yousan on yoursa own." 

The woman looked relieved, but the teen-aged boy's face held an expression of suspicion mixed with disgust. The younger children's faces held everything from excitement to fear. Most of them huddled close to the woman. 

Riders pulled the extra _kaadu_ into place, then brought the animals into crouching positions to make mounting them easier. The three Gungan adults each rode one of the animals, two of them sharing the saddle with a Gungan child -- if the children could be made to sit still. Unlike their human counterparts, the young Gungans considered it the height of excitement to be allowed to ride a _kaadu_. A mounted patrol rider led each of the _kaadu_ -- the animals would allow civilians to ride, but not to steer. 

"I think it might be best if I rode one of them," the human woman remarked, indicating the _falumpasets_. "You could put two of the children on with me." No longer a captive and more certain of at least the immediate future, the woman had taken charge of the human members of the group. She turned to the two adolescent females. "Do either of you know how to ride?" 

Both girls nodded. "We can ride gualamas," one said, referring to the lean, horse-like animals that ran in herds in the grasslands and had been domesticated as riding animals for some of the Naboo, "although Yané is a better rider than I am." 

"I've ridden tusk-cats, too," the second girl added. She looked dubiously at the _falumpaset_ standing patiently. "But neither of them are this large." 

"All right. Each of you take one of the animals. Yané, we'll put you on with two of the children, and Saché, you and Edvic take Melni with you. Do the best you can," the woman said. The adolescent boy seemed displeased with the arrangement, but said nothing. 

_Falumpasets_, being less limber than _kaadu_, couldn't crouch or kneel to allow a rider to mount. Finally the woman, hampered by her long skirts, climbed up onto the side of one of the transports, stepped onto the animal's bent knee, and pulled herself up and into the saddle. The children were lifted up to her one at a time. Edvic looked as though he were going to protest, but finally followed the woman's example. The two adolescent girls were much more graceful, despite their own long skirts. Yané eyed her outfit critically. "We'll have to do something about this if we're going to spend much time riding." 

The two riders who were leading the extra _kaadu_ moved up to flank the _falumpasets_. Peskis and his fellow scout began handing up bundles to anyone who could help carry them. "Wesa don' know what's in dem, but better wesa tekkin' dem, just in case," Peskis remarked cheerfully. "B'sides, deysa don' need dem ennymore." He nodded to the wreckage of the droids. "Weapons too, Captain?" he asked in High Gungan. 

"Yes. We might be able to figure out how to use them later." Tarpals turned to his command. "Herns and Orrin will move out ahead and scout the way for us. Vlenka and Jenais will guard the rear and cover our trail as best they can," he instructed. Then he switched to _Bassic_. "Wesa goin' to Splitrock. Iffen wesan attacked or sep'rated, Peskis and Orrin tekken the c'villians outten the fighten. Get thems 'way and hidden; wesa find yousan later. The resten ussan will leaden the _maccaneeks_ 'way." He gestured forward. "Wesa goin'."


	2. Chapter 2

With the scouts riding well in advance of the group, Tarpals took up a rear position. Orrin had been with the Third Mounted Patrol for several seasons and had ridden point before. She was capable of guiding them all to Splitrock, named for its two jagged peaks. The small mountain was a distinctive landmark, rising above the low meadows and forests surrounding Otoh Gunga's swampland territory. 

Riding at the rear of the group allowed Tarpals to observe the rest of the party, assessing how each individual rode, behaved, and reacted to what was going on around them. By early afternoon, he had privately come to share Herns's opinion of this group of _Naaboo_, although one could hardly blame the children for being ignorant. Nevertheless, he could see trouble looming in the days ahead. 

Not a single one of the _Naaboo_ seemed to have any idea how to care for themselves in the woods. All of them, even the adult, jumped at the slightest sound. Twice the human woman had asked the group to stop because one or more of the children needed to relieve themselves -- and they had no idea how to go about that either, he'd discovered. Finally one of the riders had gone into the woods and explained how to do it; she'd returned shaking her head and rolling her eyes. On top of it all, the human children were almost impossible to keep quiet, between making wailing sounds that grated on the Gungans' nerves and verbally reacting to everything around them. 

In some respects, his own people weren't much better off. Tarpals knew there was a world of difference between being able to handle a weapon or maneuver a riding animal, and actually surviving in the wilderness, especially now that they were moving further away from the swamps through the forested woodlands. The majority of the Gungan people fished, cultivated their food in underwater or swampland gardens, or engaged in some sort of craft or trade. Thanks to years of military training and experience riding the patrol circuits, Tarpals and a few of the other riders were familiar with wilderness survival, but the rest of his people had only limited knowledge of how to forage in the woodlands. 

Midway through the afternoon, the group accidentally flushed a pair of peko-pekos, large birds with bright blue feathers and heavy curved beaks. Several of the _kaadu_ threw up their heads, startled, and the nearest _falumpaset_ bellowed and shied away. The humans aboard, the older woman and her charges, nearly fell off, and one of the children shrieked. 

As the older woman comforted and quieted the children, Tarpals frowned; aside from creating a general annoyance, the sounds were likely to alert anyone in the area to their presence. The one child finally calmed; a second clung to the woman, water running down her face from her eyes, but at least she was silent. Tarpals watched as Peskis urged his animal forward until he was riding along beside the _falumpaset_. 

"Whosa this?" he asked the woman, indicating the weeping youngster. 

"This is Zanté," the woman replied. Responding to her name, the girl looked up at the woman, then back at the Gungan. 

"Hey-o, Zanté. Desan no needs to bein' frightened of the buhds," he told the child. The girl, wide-eyed, pressed against the woman and shivered. Peskis continued. "Yousa know what kinden buhds theysan are?" 

The girl shook her head. 

"Deysa _peko-paykosa-avenss_. Dis means 'blue-sky-flyer'," Peskis explained. He looked at the older female. "Yoursan people gotten name for dem?" 

"We call them peko-pekos," the woman said. 

"Soun' liken yousa gottens the name from ussan," Peskis remarked. He turned his attention back to Zanté. "Da 'peko-peko', deysa that color for a reason. Yousa ever heard dissen story?" 

The girl looked up at the woman, then back at the Gungan, and shook her head again. "Well, when the gods first medd the world, deysa medd all'n the buhds the same colors," Peskis began. "Brown, an' grey an' tan. An' the peko-peko, shesa was the brown of the branches, an' the grey of the scrub brush. But shesa no liken dese colors. 

" 'All'n the other buhds, deysa the same colors as my am,' shesa complained. 'Nobody gonna notice mesa.' She wanted to be different, so shesa stand out'n. So shesa begin looking 'round for somet'ing to mekk her different. Shesa tried singin', but hersa voice wuss a croak, an' the other buhds laughed at hersa. Den shesa tried flyin', seein' if'n shesa faster or stronger, but the goff, hesa faster an' stronger." Peskis stopped his story and pointed to the large feathers that decorated many of the riders' saddles. "Das one reason wesa use goff feathers --deysa symb'ls of strength." 

Most of the human children, and both of the Gungan youngsters were focused on the storyteller. Zanté had stopped weeping. 

"By now, the other buhds, deysa tired of the peko-peko tryin' to show off'n, and deysa hid whenever deysa saw hersa commin'. So the peko-peko, she decided to fly 'way and not come back. 'My will go up in the sky, an' live with the Sky God,' shesa said. 'Least'n there, my will stand out.' So shesa spread hersa wings an' flew 'way up inna the sky." 

Peskis's hands fluttered in imitation of a bird's wings. "So shesa flew, an' flew, an' flew, 'til shesa reached the sky world. The Sky God, hesa see hersa commin'. Hesa sess, "'Peko-peko, my'm glad to you yousa. The buhds, deysa always welcome here. Yousa stay 'long as yousa want.' So the peko-peko stayed in the Sky Home for a while. But a strange t'ing started happ'nen; the blue of the sky started rubbin' off onna peko-peko. After a while, hersa feathers turned blue, liken the sky. The more she flew through the Sky Home, the bluer hersa feathers becommin'. At last, shesa became the color wesa seein' hersa h'as now. 

"Then the peko-peko, shesa sess to the Sky God, 'My thanks yousa for lettin' mesa stay, but my wants to go home now.' So the Sky God gave hersa blessing, and shesa flew back to the forest. 

"The other buhds, deysa no' recognize the peko-peko. 'What sort'n strange t'ing is that?' deysa ask. 'Why, my'm the peko-peko,' shesa tol' dem. When the other buhds saw hersa blue feathers, deysa became jealous an' angry. 'How come wesa no' got feathers like dat?' deysa asked. 'Yousa always t'inking yousa better than ussan. Go 'way!' 

"The peko-peko flew up inna tree branches and cried. 'No one liken mesa,' shesa said. 'No one 'preciates mesa!' Den shesa looked down from hersa tree, an' saw a _zalaaca_ creeping 'long the forest floor. The pred'tor, hesa followin' the little _flittavenss_, wantin' to ett him. The peko-peko, shesa forgot all 'bout herse'f and how the other buhds treatin' hersa. Shesa called to the _flittavenss_, 'Watch out! Yousa in danger!', but the _flittavenss_, hesa 'nored hersa. Shesa spread hersa wings and flew down outten the tree and in front of the _zalaaca_ as hesa gotten ready to spring. 

"The _zalaaca_, hesa s'prised by the bright blue feathers of the peko-peko, an' 'stead of springin' at the _flittavenss_, hesa jumped after the peko-peko. But hersa wings were strong after flying to an' from the Sky Home, and she flew into the forest. The _zalaaca_, hesa followed, leavin' the _flittavenss_ safe. The peko-peko, shesa flew on 'til shesa led the _zalaaca_ far 'way. Den shesa flew up inna tree and sat 'till the _zalaaca_ went 'way, lookin' for 'nother meal. 

"The _flittavenss_, hesa tol' all'n the other buhds 'bout what the peko-peko had done. The other birds 'pologized to hersa, and shesa was so glad at bein' 'cepted that shesa vol'nteered to given h'up hersa blue feathers. To hersa s'prise, the other buhds told hersa to kipp dem. 'Dat way, ever'one will remember yoursa kindness and courage,' dey sedd. If'n yousa see her, that means shesa protectin' yousa, by leadin' danger 'way. An' findin' hersa feathers is good luck." 

The woman looked down at Zanté. "There, you see? The peko-peko birds only showed themselves to tell you you're safe." The girl sniffled, but remained calm. The woman turned to Peskis. "Thank you. Do the Gungans tell many stories like that?" 

"Wesa gottens oursa fair share," Peskis answer pleasantly. "Iffen yousa like, my'll tell another one tonight when wesa camped." He nodded, slapped the reins against the _kaadu_'s neck, and moved away. 

In late afternoon, Tarpals called a halt for the day. He dispatched three Gungans to watch for any sign of pursuit or discovery by the _maccaneeks_, and set the rest of the command to putting together a camp. 

"Peskis." The Ankuran straightened up at the sound of his name. "Pick out three or four others and see what food you can find." 

"With pleasure, Captain." Peskis paused for a moment, watching as experienced patrol members moved off to take up the tasks of erecting shelters and caring for the small herd of _kaadu_ and _falumpasets_. The humans were again clustered together, looking lost and nervous. The Gungan family members also stood off to one side, watching the activity. 

Peskis nodded toward the _Naaboo_. "What do you think of them, sir?" 

Tarpals clicked his teeth together, a Gungan sign of mild displeasure. "I think this is going to be a very long journey." 

Peskis chuckled. "Now, Captain, you know the old saying: no good deed, no matter how small, goes--" 

"Unpunished?" Tarpals remarked dryly. He noted that most of the command was avoiding the _Naaboo_, barely even glancing at them, with the exception of the Gungan family they had rescued. 

"--Unrewarded," Peskis finished. 

Tarpals eyed him critically. "We'll see about that. Before you leave camp, tell Jenais and Vlenka to open those bundles we're carrying and take stock when they get the chance. We'll keep what we can use, and bury the rest." 

"Yes, sir." The Ankuran saluted and moved off on his errands. 

The older human woman also scanned the clusters of activity around the area. Then she turned to her companions. "Stay with the children," she told the three teens. "I'll go see what their leader wants us to do." She gathered up her skirts and went in search of the lean grey-skinned Gungan who seemed to be the commander. 

Like most of the humans on Naboo, the woman knew the basics of Gungan appearance – floppy ears, a long face, four fingers on the hand, lanky legs with broad round feet. But the commander looked different enough from the rest of his soldiers that she had no trouble recognizing him – his dark grey and brown leather uniform was of a completely different cut than anyone else's in the group, and his face bore a set of whiskery growths on the upper lip. She couldn't tell if the grey of his skin was his natural color or a result of advancing age. 

"Excuse me -- sir?" 

Tarpals sighed; the last thing he wanted to do was have a conversation with this _Naaboo_ female. Rell Iss stepped protectively in front of his commander. 

"Hesa busy." 

"Rell Iss." Tarpals nodded in the direction of a relatively bare patch of ground. "It's all right. Go see about setting up places to sleep." The younger Gungan hesitated, then saluted smartly and turned away. Tarpals turned back to the human woman. 

"I wanted to thank you for helping us," the woman began. "My name is Hela Brandes. I'm -- I serve as the Minister of Music for Queen Amidala." Brandes paused for a moment. "I'm sorry, but I don't know how to address you." Tarpals gave her a blank look. "What is your name? What -- what rank do you hold?" 

Tarpals hesitated. The language the _Naaboo_ called _Bassic_ had a number of words in common with High Gungan, but there were many terms unique to High Gungan that wouldn't translate properly into _Bassic_. Tarpals's rank was one of those words; consisting of syllables that the _Naaboo_ couldn't pronounce, his rank within the Gungan military was just below that of the highest officials but well above that of the apprentice soldiers. Tarpals's knowledge of _Bassic_ included several military titles and their ranking in importance. He supposed that "_Kippton_", which apparently represented a mid-range rank, would be the closest and most understandable to the _Naaboo_. 

"Mesa _Kippton_ Tarpals," he told the woman finally. She looked puzzled. 

"Captain Tarpals?" she echoed finally. 

Close enough. "Yassah. _Rep_ Heela Brand-ess." He inclined his head slightly. 

"I'm sorry, but .... 'Rep'?" 

"Iss'n small word for '_Repsanna_'," Tarpals told her. "Iss'n title for advisors." 

"Oh." She smiled. "Our societies have that much in common, at least." She plunged ahead. "Captain, like most of my people, I really don't know much about the Gungans, so I hope you'll pardon my ignorance. I'll try to learn as quickly as I can. And I'll try to answer any questions you might have about us." 

Tarpals had spent most of his life in the military, first as a scout and soldier in the Third Mounted Patrol, and later as Patrol Chief in the capital city of Otoh Gunga. Because the Mounted Patrol members rode the circuit of outlying settlements surrounding Otoh Gunga, they were more likely than most Gungans to come in contact with the _Naaboo_. Tarpals had had several encounters with humans during his career; he had marginally more respect for human intelligence than many of his people, but only because he knew that the _Naaboo_, like most other living creatures, could be very dangerous under the right circumstances. 

Because of the encounters, he also knew something about the humans' society. They were ruled by a monarch, they spent a great deal of time building sizable and complicated structures, and most of them considered the Gungans as primitive and backward savages. Since the Gungans had similar beliefs about the _Naaboo_, contact between the two races was minimal, except for the trading that took place on the fringes of both societies. 

"So. Yousa Queen's advisor. What'n 'bout them?" He gestured back toward the encampment. "The _sprattlings_?" 

He saw understanding dawn in her expression. "Oh. The children. Most of them are related to ministers and other government officials, except Zanté – I'm afraid I don't know anything about her family. The two oldest girls served as the Queen's handmaidens. The Neimoidians thought that by separating the children out and holding them prisoner in a secret location, they could force the government to turn over the Queen so she could sign an agreement to allow the invaders to legally occupy the planet." 

"Thees'n N'moidians, theysan what yousa call'n the _maccaneeks_?" 

"_Macc_--? Oh." Brandes shook her head. "No. The Neimoidians are flesh and blood, like both of us. They control the -- the droids. They use the droids to do most of their work for them. The Neimoidians run the Trade Federation, a very large and powerful group of merchants. The Federation wants to cut off our trade routes to protest taxes set by the Galactic Senate; the Federation chose our planet because we have almost no way to fight them. The Federation has demanded that we turn control of our planet over to them." 

The Gungan mulled that one over for a few moments. "The _Naaboo_, theysa no spake for all'n ussan," he pointed out. "Wesa no wantin' theesan _maccaneeks_ or theysa masters heah." 

"The Queen refused to sign the agreement when the Neimoidians first offered," Brandes told him. "I don't know what happened after that -- I was removed from Theed, along with the rest of the Advisory Council. I think the only reason that I was included in this group is that the Neimoidians wanted someone to watch over the children." 

"Yousa think the Queen will agree to thissen 'vasion now?" 

Brandes shook her head. "I don't know. For one thing, she's disappeared off-planet, according to Yané and Saché, her handmaidens. They're the two older girls traveling with us. That would leave Governor Bibble and the Advisory Council in charge, but they won't sign any such agreement. Even if they did, it would still require the approval of Her Highness. As long as she's gone, the invasion remains illegal, and we have some hope that the Senate will intervene, if we can get word to them." 

"Sssenate," Tarpals almost hissed the word. 

"It's the governing body of the Republic. The Republic is a united government of many hundreds of thousands of planets." 

Tarpals considered. His people knew that the _Naaboo_ had come to this world nearly thirty generations ago from beyond the sky. There had been fighting and struggle, but in the end several small settlements had been started by the _Naaboo_. The _Naaboo_ stayed mostly in the grasslands and mountainous areas of the planet, leaving the majority of the world to the Gungans, who made their homes in the swamps, lakes, and the coastal areas of the oceans. 

Although they lacked the powerful _farseeins_ and other scanning technology used by _Naaboo_ scientists to study the stars, the Gungans had theorized the existence of other worlds before the coming of the humans; with so much life on their own world, how could there not be life on other worlds as well? The human colonists had proved the theories true. The knowledge that there were so many other worlds with so many other beings was, however, a more daunting idea. 

"Thiss'n Ree-puplic, iss'n all made up of _Naaboo_?" Tarpals asked. 

Brandes shook her head. "No. Many worlds have their own races, many of them intelligent like us. And most of _them_ are very different from humans or Gungans." 

Well, as interesting as all this might be, there was work to be done. Tarpals inclined his head again. "_Rep_ Brand-ess, yousa need'n 'scuse mesa. My need to see how ever'one iss doin'. Mebbe wesa fin' time to talk on thiss'n later." 

"Oh! That's what I originally wanted to ask you. What can we do to help? I know most of us don't know much about surviving in the woods, and the children are young, but surely there's something we can do to help." 

_The most helpful thing the_ Naaboo _could do would be to stay quietly out of the way_, Tarpals thought wryly. However.... He switched to _Baasic._ "Rell Iss." His aide looked up from spreading out the bedrolls. "Find Peskis. He's supposed to be foraging. See if he or one of the others can use some extra sets of hands." Rell Iss nodded and rose. Tarpals turned back to Brandes. "Wesa fin' some-att for yousan to do," he told her. 

"Thank you, Captain. I hope we get a chance to talk again later." The woman moved away to rejoin her group. 

A few minutes later, Brandes was explaining, "All right. The leader, who's called Captain Tarpals, will find us all something to do to help out. Now, I know this is difficult for everyone, but you've all been doing well so far. We need to keep this up until we get home, all right?" Brandes said as a heavy-set Gungan approached. He looked different from the rest of his people. He had the same floppy ears, four-fingered hands and powerful legs, but his build was much stockier, and he lacked the prominent eyestalks the rest of the Gungans sported; his face was much more frog-like. He was holding a double handful of items from the forest. 

The Gungan nodded around at the group. "_Insall ta-diraada_. Thass oursan words for 'good evening'." He turned to Brandes. "The Captain, hesa sess yousa called 'Brand-ess'. Yousa h'advisor to the _Naaboo_ Queen, yiss?" 

"That's right." 

Peskis smiled. "_Rep_ Brand-ess, wesa goin' looking for food. Mebbe the _sprattlings_, theysa want to hepp?" 

Brandes smiled. "'_Sprattlings_' is their word for 'children'," she told the group of humans. "Yes, I think everyone would like to help. Come here, all of you." 

The little group clustered around Peskis hesitantly. He beckoned to the Gungan family to join them. "Fust off, less find out whosa h'ever'one iss. Mesa Lieut-en-ant Peskis. Mesa remember Zanté," he nodded to the dark-haired girl, "an' Rep Brand-ess. And diss'n....?" 

"This is Melni Bibble," Brandes began, indicating the ten-year-old, brown-haired girl on her left, "and Edvic Terranz," she nodded to the thin, blond teen boy, who eyed the Gungan defiantly. Peskis offered him a wide smile with only a hint of teeth, and the youth back up a step. Brandes continued. "Yané," she indicated one of the teen-aged girls, "and Saché." Both girls smiled and nodded. "Arlan Hepell." Brandes pointed to the youngest human child, a boy of about six with red hair. "Nalla Eckener, and her brother Irric. They're twins." The two brown-haired children smiled, the girl a little uncertainly. 

The Gungan laughed and clapped his hands on his knees. "Both'n dem from da semm h'egg, yousa mean? Dat's rare." 

"For humans, too," Brandes said. 

Peskis grinned broadly. "Wesa tekk dem as a good sign, den. Powerful lucky." Still smiling, he turned to the Gungan family. "An' yousan?" 

The three adults exchanged glances. Finally one spoke in a female voice. "My'm Kimma Nril. Sen Tal, my fust _essoan_, an' Hanar, my secont _essoan_." Both males nodded, and Sen Tal grinned. Brandes nodded and smiled back. Both Kimma and Hanar were a muddy tan color, with brown markings on arms, neck, and head; Sen Tal was greener in complexion, with green-brown markings. 

"An' yousan two?" Peskis asked the two Gungan children. 

"Mesa Temmis," the older said. His hide was a light brown with barely visible rust-colored markings. "An' dissen Plirri. Hesa don' spikk much _Bassic_ yet." Plirri looked up at the sound of his name and grinned broadly; his skin seemed to be all-over dark tan. 

Peskis nodded. "Iss'n nice meetin' ever'one. Right now, wesa gottens work to do. Wesa needin' to find food for all'n ussan. Now, my am going to put yousa in groups of three, four. And yousa each going to looksee for these...." Peskis began holding up various leaves, roots, and other plant parts. 

"I don't want to," Edvic muttered behind Brandes. The children closest to them turned to listen. Brandes sighed. 

"You pay attention to Lieutenant Peskis. We'll be right back." She led Edvic away from the group. "Now, what's the problem?" 

"I don't trust them," the teen replied. "How do we know they're not going to just lose us in the woods? I heard one of them complaining to the one in charge about us." 

Brandes rubbed her forehead. "Edvic, listen to me. We have no choice. We have to trust them if we want to survive. None of us know how to find food or shelter or even our way to Tendesay." 

"What if they're just keeping us around for food?" Edvic was glancing around him nervously. "I've heard -- I've heard Gungans sometimes eat people." At the expression of disbelief on Brandes's face, he added, "It would be easy, wouldn't it? They could take us out in the woods and kill us one at a time, and then just claim that the missing person was lost!" 

"If they were going to do that, they could have just killed us back when they stopped the droid convoy." Her face hardened into a resolute expression. "They seem to be civilized beings. They've agreed to take us along, even though it would have been far easier to abandon us. None of them have tried to hurt us. And they seem concerned about the well being of the children. Now, the least we can do is try to earn our keep by helping, and if that means joining the search for food, that's what we'll do." As Edvic opened his mouth to protest, she added, "End of discussion. If you don't want to, fine. Go sit somewhere and stay out of trouble. But don't blame me if the Gungans don't feed you after you've refused to help." 

As she rejoined the children, Orrin, the female Gungan who had been riding ahead that day, called to the three adolescent humans. "Hey, yousan! Some hepp heah, pleece." 

Yané, Saché, and Edvic exchanged glances. Then Saché turned to the Gungan. "What do you want us to do?" 

"Wesa mekkin' liddle shelters," Orrin said. "Needin' some h'extra hands." Both of the young women turned to Brandes, who nodded in support. "Go work with her. Edvic and I will stay with the youngsters." Yané and Saché began gathering the long, broad leaves that Orrin showed them. 

Peskis led the rest of the group out into the woods, keeping within sight of the encampment clearing. He set some of the older children to digging for roots using sticks to move the dirt; others were gathering berries under the direction of one of the Gungan soldiers who seemed human-friendly. The two males and one female adult members of the Gungan family took turns hoisting children on their shoulders to pull nuts down from some of the trees -- an awkward task, given the floppy Gungan _haillu_, but several of the children agreed to the free rides. Finally one of the males suggested shaking the branches, and a shower of nuts had human and Gungan children alike scrambling for the morsels on the woodland floor. 

Edvic turned over a large, flat rock, then almost dropped it at the sight of the pale grubs and other insects that began burrowing away from the sudden light. The boy kicked the stone back in place. 

"Hey!" came a voice. "Yousa gonna etten dem?" One of the Gungan soldiers was peering at him. 

Edvic stared at the Gungan. "No," he replied in a disgusted tone, lip curling in revulsion at the idea of eating grubs. 

"Good. 'Scusa mesa." The Gungan crouched beside the stone and lifted it, then began gathering the grubs from the bare patch of ground. Edvic watched in disdain as the Gungan dropped the grubs into a carrying sack. 

"You're not really going to eat those things, are you?" 

"Coursen. Deysa pe'fectly good meat." The Gungan popped one into his mouth and chewed. The human almost gagged. 

"I'm not eating anything with those in it," he declared. 

The Gungan tilted his head. "H'okey. Dassen mekking more for the rest'n ussan."


	3. Chapter 3

Yané laid an armload of leaves on the ground and paused to watch Orrin. The Gungan was shinnying up a sapling-sized tree, which promptly bent under her weight. "Hol' the end," she instructed Saché, who anchored the top of the tree so Orrin could slide safely off. The Gungan tied a supple vine around the sapling and attached it to a hastily cut stake that she drove into the ground with a rock. "Lettin' go," she told Saché. When the girl released the tree, it remained bent over, held in place by the vine. Orrin grinned. "Now wesa needin' some mo-ah." The three bent down a second sapling and tied it to the first. They soon had half a dozen small trees bent and tied together at the tops, the entire group held in place by the stake. The final result was a small circle of bowed trees. "Now, wesa usin' the leafs," Orrin said, and they wove the leaves in and out around the saplings, forming a very large "basket" that would shelter them from the weather and provide some protection from the local wildlife. Yané and Saché glanced up to see three similar shelters had been built around the clearing.

"That's not enough for everyone, is it?" asked Saché when they paused to rest. 

Orrin tilted her head in a Gungan shrug. "Most of ussan, wesa slipp out'n'doors," she explained. "Wesa mekkin' these for yousan and the other _sprattlings_ and theirsan fam'ly. Tomorrow, wesa scatter the leafs back 'round the area an' let the trees go back straight, an' no'un knowen wesa been heres." 

~*~*~*~ 

Brandes noticed Peskis peering up into the tree branches. "What are you looking at?" 

Mesa thinkin' iss a nessst," the Gungan replied. He raised his voice. "Whosa good'n for climbin' heah?" 

The children, human and Gungan, clustered around the two adults. "My'll go," volunteered the older of the Gungan children. 

"Yousa Temmis, yiss? Right-o. C'meah." 

Peskis hoisted the youngster onto his shoulders. Temmis grasped the tree branches and pulled himself up until he could swing his legs up over the limb. Then he crawled up the branch to the tree trunk and clambered up to the next set of branches. In a moment he was hidden by leaves. 

"Iss'n nessst!" Temmis's voice drifted down. "An' desa h'eggs innin!" 

The Gungans all grinned. "Diss'n good luck!" the Gungan female said. "Usually h'eggs hass all hatched by now!" 

"Kenn yousa drop dem down to ussan wit'out brekkin' any?" Peskis called back up. 

"T'ink so!" 

Sen Tal positioned himself under the tree. A moment later a pale green egg dropped down out of the leaves, and the male caught it in his right hand. He caught the second egg in his left hand, then shifted the two eggs to one hand and waited. A third egg, then a fourth hurtled down from the tree. The male caught them, then called up, "How menny mo-ah?" 

"Jus' diss'un," Temmis shouted back, and a fifth egg dropped. The male, caught with both hands full of eggs, looked around wildly for a moment, and then focused on the last egg. His head shot forward, and everyone heard a muffled "flummp!" as his mouth snapped shut. The female stepped forward, and the male turned to her, grinning. Then he opened his mouth and the last egg, intact, slid down his long tongue and into her hand. 

"Ewww!" exclaimed several of the humans. 

The female blinked at them. "Wesa only ettin' the inside," she said mildly. "Outside don' matter." 

Temmis reappeared among the leaves. "What wesa leavin'?" 

"Leaving?" Brandes asked, puzzled. 

"Yiss. For da bargain." The female Gungan glanced around. "Heah -- yousa gotten fruit, wrap dem in leafs and wesa send dem up." Peskis plucked two broad leaves from a ground plant and wrapped several of the smaller fruits in them. Then he tied the leaves closed with strands of grass and tossed them up to Temmis, who clamped the leaves in his mouth and climbed back up the tree. A few minutes later he swung down, ran along the lowest branch, and hopped into Sen Tal's arms. 

Peskis beamed at him. "Yousa remember the Bargain Story, eh?" 

"Course'n. Ever'one know dat'n," Temmis answered. Then he glanced at the humans. "Well, aw'most ever'one." 

Peskis looked around at the assortment of food being held in hands, the folds of human garments, or leafy containers. "Dissen lookin' like a good haul, eh? Less bring all'n diss into camp and see iff'n wesa needin' to find mo-ah. Iff'n not, wesa reddy to start divvyin' ever't'ing up. Findin' the food is just the beginnin'." 

~*~*~*~ 

The sun was just touching the horizon when Rell Iss reported, "Lieutenant Peskis is back from foraging." Tarpals, eyes on the small pockets of activity in the camping area, merely nodded. "He said they were very successful -- plenty of vegetables, fruits, nuts, even some eggs." 

Tarpals and Rell Iss watched as a very small human child, the youngest of the _sprattlings_, walked slowly and carefully toward them with something cupped in his hands. Peskis and Brandes trailed along behind him. 

The young human was biting his lower lip in concentration. As he neared them, the Gungans could see that he was clutching a tray-like sheet of bark in his hands, and his careful gait was part of an attempt to keep from spilling it. 

Finally he stopped and looked up at the two of them, then carefully held the tray out. "Your dinner, Captain," Peskis told him, moving up behind the boy. 

The Captain eyed him for a moment, then slowly crouched down in front of the child and took the tray. The assortment of food was garnished with a small bouquet of flowers -- all of which were also edible by Gungan standards. 

The human boy backed up against Brandes's legs. "It's all right, Arlan. He won't hurt you," Brandes encouraged him. Arlan continued staring at Tarpals until the Gungan straightened. 

"Berry colorful," Tarpals remarked. "Thanka yous." 

The human woman nudged her young charge until the boy managed, "You're welcome." Then she put a hand on the boy's shoulder and led him away, smiling at the Gungans over her shoulder. Her voice drifted back to them. "That was very good, Arlan." 

Peskis nodded after the retreating humans. "Actually, for _Naaboo_ children, they did rather well. I taught each of them a different plant, and then turned them loose to collect as many as they could find. Between what they found and what a couple of our own people brought in, no one should go hungry tonight. 

"Vlenka and Jenais said several of the bundles we picked up will come in handy," he continued. "Two of them contain extra clothes for the humans, and a couple more have what seem to be containers of food. I'm going to ask the older human female to look through the rest of the items and see if they recognize anything of value." 

Tarpals nodded. "All right. Let's get everyone who's off duty in and start feeding them. Then send some of our people out to relieve those on watch. Assign each of our experienced Patrol members to two of the _militiagungs_ so they can start reviewing them on simple duties. Our full-time soldiers need to rest, just like everyone else." 

"Do you want me to assign some of the _Naaboo_ for training as well?" asked Peskis. "Orrin said the two older females did well working with her." 

Tarpals hesitated. Escorting the _Naaboo_ was one thing; actively relying on them to do tasks without supervision was something else again. Still, Orrin was pretty levelheaded and a good judge of character. "All right. Assign the older ones to Orrin and anyone else who's willing to work with them. It's strictly a volunteer duty for our people, though. And the first time any of the _Naaboo_ cause trouble, they'll be confined to an escort." 

"Yes, sir." 

Tarpals and Peskis turned as the two small Gungans burst out of the bushes and scurried straight for the lieutenant. "Look, look!" Plirri squealed, waving something in his hand. "Look what we found, over where the animals are!" 

"I could see it better if you held it still," Peskis said mildly. He glanced over at Tarpals, who was frowning at them. "And you two need to be more quiet," he added, dropping his voice to a whisper. 

The youngster finally held his hand still and opened his fist. He was clutching not one, but two bright blue feathers. "Peko-peko!" he exclaimed. 

"An excellent find!" Peskis agreed. "Have your mother tie them to something so they don't get lost." Plirri bounced up and down happily, then turned and scampered off to find his mother, closely followed by Temmis. 

~*~*~*~ 

Brandes had been dismayed to discover that Gungans apparently did not cook their food — including eggs. "I'm sorry," she had told Peskis, who had offered her two of the eggs to divide among the children, "but we can't eat them raw. We need to cook them." 

"Kook?" Kimma had cocked her head at the unknown word. 

"We need to heat them to a very high temperature," Brandes explained. "Make them very hot. Otherwise they might make us sick." 

Four of the eggs were passed on to several of the Gungan riders; Brandes noticed one of them carefully bit the end of the egg open, and then sipped the contents like a beverage. He (or she, Brandes couldn't tell) passed the egg to another rider, who finished it. The shell was then buried. 

The two Gungan children shared the last egg. All through their meal, the two youngsters whispered together, glancing at the humans from time to time. Finally they stood up, and approached the humans carefully. 

Brandes and her group watched the Gungans, the woman aware that the adult Gungans had mostly stopped what they were doing to watch as well. The youngsters hesitated at the edge of the group; then the older one stepped forward and held out a blue feather to Zanté. "Heah," he said. "Wesa wanted to share dissen with yousa. Mebbe it'll bring yousa luck, an' he'p yousa get home safe." 

Uncertain, Zanté looked at Brandes for guidance. "It's all right," the woman told her. "They won't hurt you. Take it." The girl reached forward and took the feather and string from the Gungan's hand. "What do you say?" Brandes prompted her, but the girl remained silent. 

Kimma crouched so that her eyes were on the same level as Zanté's. "Wesa can tie dissen to somet'ing so's its not gettin' lost," she suggested. 

Brandes nodded. "Shall we tie it in your hair, Zanté?" 

The girl stood still as the Gungan carefully separated out a lock of the human's hair and tied the feather in place. "Theah. Yousa keppen it safe, now." 

The girl nodded. The Gungan gave her a broad smile. "Yousa no worryin', now. Wesa tekken care of yousa." She carefully laid a hand on the girl's head for a moment. Then she turned away and drew her children after her. 

Although the humans couldn't eat the eggs or other small game provided by a few of the riders, they could eat nuts, vegetables and fruit, which made enough of a meal for the evening. 

Other than the Gungan children, the humans seemed to be the only ones sitting down to a meal as a group. The riders ate on the move; a handful would enter the camp, pick up their food, and walk off, chewing. Even the adults in the Gungan family followed that trait. The female finished her meal and exchanged a few words with one of the males, then left her family to speak to Peskis. The larger Gungan nodded at what she was saying and pointed; Kimma gave her family a wave and disappeared into the brush. Shortly after, the two males rose and herded the children toward one of the three wood shelters. 

"The other two shelters are for us," Yané told Brandes. "At least, that's what Orrin told us." 

"We'll take her word for it," Brandes said. She rose and gathered the rest of the group together. "Let's go take a look." 

Each shelter was large enough to house three or four adults, or several of the children. The broad leaves had been woven into the saplings about three-quarters of the way around the circle; the other quarter was open. "Orrin said this is a quick way to build a temporary shelter," Yané explained. "This way, the Gungans don't have to cut down and kill a bunch of trees. In the morning, we'll untie the rope, scatter the leaves around, and the trees will go back to growing normally." 

"And apparently it won't look as though anyone's been here," Saché added. "Orrin hopes the droid scouts won't notice this as a former campsite." 

"This is a very clever idea," Brandes remarked, settling herself in the rear of the shelter. 

"We could probably build another one again by ourselves," Saché remarked. 

"I'm sure you could." 

"In case we wanted to strike out on our own," Yané added. 

Brandes stared at the two handmaidens for a moment; then she turned to Melni Bibble. "Melni, would you take the rest of the children to the other shelter and look it over? I'll be there in a few minutes." The girl stood up. Brandes took Zanté's hand and pulled her into a standing position. "Go with Melni and the others, all right?" Zanté nodded. 

Once the children had left the shelter, Brandes turned to the three teens. "What do you mean, 'strike out on our own'?" Brandes asked cautiously. 

The two Handmaidens glanced around the area; none of the Gungans appeared to be in sight. "We're not sure being rescued by the Gungans is necessarily a good thing," Saché said finally. "We know that several of them aren't happy about us traveling with them." 

"We thought that perhaps we might be able to find our own way home," Yané added. "Orrin and a couple of others seem friendly enough, so we're learning from them as much as we can. Now we've got some idea of how to build shelters and how to find food. We thought maybe we could get one of the Gungans to show us the direction to the nearest human settlement and --" 

"And what? We sneak off in the middle of the night?" Brandes asked wearily. "On foot? Without any means of defending ourselves? Just the clothes on our backs? What do we do if the droid army finds us again? None of us can fight. We know the Gungans can -- they destroyed the transports and droid guards. They seem willing to protect us, and we're already heading toward Tendesay." 

"We don't really know that," Edvic protested. "They say that's where we're going." 

"I don't know what they'd gain by lying," Brandes retorted. 

"They could be planning to hold us for ransom," Saché suggested. 

Brandes laughed. "Really? In the thousand years our two races have shared this planet, the Gungans have had as little to do with us as possible. I think they'd be much happier if the Trade Federation wiped us all off the face of Naboo. I've already told their captain that the Advisory Council won't give in to the Neimoidians' demands -- the Council certainly won't deal with the Gungans under similar circumstances. 

"Listen to me, all three of you. The Gungans would have been much further ahead leaving us all behind. They wouldn't have to feed us, or use their spare animals to cart us around, and they wouldn't have to waste time telling stories to calm the littlest ones." She shook her head. "If nothing else, that decided me -- the fact that the captain and the others are willing to devote time and energy taking care of someone who can't possibly bring them any advantage at all. The Gungans are obviously not the savages we thought they were. They have a culture, and a language, and a history, and up to this point have behaved like civilized beings. 

"If the three of you want to leave, then go. I can't stop you. But I'm staying, with the rest of the children. The Gungans are our best hope for getting to Tendesay. At my age, I'm too old to be traipsing around the wilderness on foot. You three and possibly Melni could do it, but what about the youngest children? What about Zanté? I'm not sure she can walk any distance. Something terrible has obviously happened to her -- I can't believe she's always been without a voice. The droids aren't the only dangers here in the wilderness -- I'm sure you've heard all the sounds of the creatures that live in this area. I doubt they're all friendly. You know that tusk-cats and other domestic animals have wild relatives. 

"I strongly suggest that we continue on with the Gungans. If nothing else, there's some safety in numbers." 

The three teens exchanged glances. Finally Yané said, "All right. We'll stay. But I think we should still consider the idea of going it on our own." 

"Very well," Brandes agreed. "We'll talk about it again in a day or two. Right now, though, one of us needs to join the children and make sure they're all right. I'm especially worried about Zanté." 

Brandes crawled carefully out of the shelter. By now the sun was below the horizon, and daylight had faded. Brandes could hear something moving through the brush nearby. 

"Rep Brand-ess!" came Temmis's voice. 

"Temmis? Where are you?" 

"Right'n heah." The voice moved in front of her, and the human could make out the form of a small Gungan. "Yousan all wanna come to the story-tellin's? Peskis sess hesa startin' soon." 

"Where is he going to be?" 

"Bekk dere in da clearin'. Deysa lottsa room dere." 

Brandes gazed toward where she remembered the open space to be. "Temmis, it's going to be very difficult for us to find our way back there. Humans can't see well in the dark." 

"Yousa can't smell youran way bekk?" Temmis sounded puzzled. 

Brandes smiled. "No, I'm afraid not." 

A blue-tinted light suddenly sprang up in the clearing. It pulsed once or twice, and then settled into a dim glow. "Dere!" Temmis said. "Someone's litt'n a light. Dat's where wesan all goin's. Yousa gonna come?" 

"Let's find out," Brandes told him. "Everyone else is in the other shelter." 

"Mesa go'n ask!" And with that, Temmis scurried off into the darkness. A few minutes later, Melni, Nalla, Arlan and Irric waded through the brush to Brandes's position. "Where's Zanté?" asked Melni. "Did she come back here?" 

"No. I thought she was with you." Brandes, despite the darkness, began looking around. 

"I think she was going to the bathroom," Nalla said. "Well, you know what I mean." 

"We'll look for her," Yané offered. She turned to Melni. "Which way was she heading?" 

The girl hesitated. "I'm not sure -- it all looks different.... I think it was that way." She pointed toward the forest. 

"Mesa wanna hepp," Temmis offered. 

"All right. The rest of us will go to the clearing. Bring her there when you've found her," Brandes said. The humans moved off toward the blue light. The two handmaidens glanced around. "I wonder if we could get another of those lights," Saché mused. 

"Pro'lly not," said Orrin's voice, and both girls jumped. "Wesa don' wanna waste 'em. Yousa lookin' for the _sprattling_? Shesa over dere." Yané and Saché felt, rather than saw, Orrin point. 

"My'll go," Temmis said, and was gone before anyone could protest. 

"So. Iss the shelters h'okay?" asked Orrin. 

"Everyone seemed pleased with them," Yané said. "I don't know about you, but most of us will feel better if we sleep under some kind of cover." 

"Thought mebbe," Orrin remarked. "When wesa ridin' p'trol, iss fine slippin' out'n'doors, but when mesa home, like slippin' in a comfy pool." 

In the clearing, figures moved in front of the blue light as Gungans and humans gathered. Saché peered at the figures, and then noticed a small, shadowy form at the edge of the clearing. "Oh, there's Zanté. Good! Let's get down there." 

Although no one had told her about the gathering or the storytelling, Zanté had instinctively moved toward the light once it had been lit. Unfortunately, she emerged from the brush on the far side of the clearing, where a cluster of Gungans had gathered. Zanté froze and stared fearfully at the riders. 

Herns and the other Gungans eyed the girl resentfully, and Herns stood up. "Yousa better run 'long. Desa no room heah." 

Zanté backed away from them, casting about frantically for Brandes. Instead of the human woman, however, Temmis came trotting out of the woods behind her. "Dere yousa ares," the youngster exclaimed. "Wesa been lookin' for yous. C'mon -- wesa been saving a spot. Peskis is story-tellin's soon." With that, he took Zanté by the wrist and towed her toward the gathering of Gungans at the other side of the clearing. 

Even with several of the Gungans stationed outside the encampment on guard duty, a crowd had gathered in the clearing. Four sticks had been lashed together to form a small holder, and, nestled in its crook, a glowing blue ball cast its light on the faces of the group. The younger human children were sitting close to Hela Brandes; Edvic lurked off to one side, almost invisible in the darkness. On the other side of the circle sat or stood the Gungans, speaking softly amongst themselves. 

Zanté and her escort paused at the edge of the group. "Yousa can set with ussan," the Gungan told her. Zanté hesitated, then shook her head and walked to where Hela sat. Temmis's eyestalks and _haillu_ drooped; after a moment he turned away to settle himself beside his parents and younger sibling. 

Brandes glanced around, seeking Yané and Saché. She caught sight of Edvic -- just as Herns and three other Gungans silently materialized out of the darkness behind him. Brandes opened her mouth to warn him; Herns deliberately shoved one knee against the teen's back to push him out of the way. Edvic sprawled amidst the leafy plants of the forest floor, then scrambled to one side and stood up, glaring at the Gungans, fists clenched. 

Herns bared his teeth and hissed softly; the other three Gungans moved up to flank him, facing off against the teen. "Yousa better move," Herns sneered. 

"Or what?" came Yané's voice; she, Saché, and Orrin had arrived, passing behind Edvic on their way to the center of the clearing. The two human girls stopped beside Edvic; Orrin moved on a few paces, and then paused to fold her arms casually and watch the scene unfold. 

"Or hesa gonna get stepped on," Herns replied, moving forward to tower over the two Handmaidens. Both girls stood their ground, Yané with arms folded and Saché with her hands on her hips. Herns stooped slightly, bringing his face closer to theirs. "Liken _voorpak_." He clenched his fist in Yané's face, as if squeezing a small animal in his hand. "Dass a liddle, fluffy--" 

"I know what a _voorpak_ is," Yané replied, referring to the plump, furry creature with eight legs and tufted ears. _Voorpaks_ were popular pets among the Naboo; the animals were small enough to fit in pockets or sleeves, and made a purring sound when content. 

"And even though they're small, they've got very sharp teeth and can deliver a nasty bite," added Saché. 

"Iff'n yousa foolish 'nough to t'reaten dem," Orrin added. Herns turned on her. 

"'Course'n, no one heah is dat silly," Peskis added cheerfully, entering the clearing and deliberately stepping into the middle of the standoff. He offered an amiable smile to everyone; Herns snorted and spun away, stalking past the rest of the humans to join his people on the other side of the clearing, his companions trailing after him. Peskis nodded politely to Brandes and the children as he walked into the center of the group. 

Orrin arched her neck and snorted at Herns's retreating form. "Gotten a prickler unner hissen saddle," she remarked. 

"He doesn't seem to like us much," Saché agreed. 

Orrin shrugged. "Yousan pro'lly best be stayin' 'way from himsa," she suggested. "Mesa seein' yousa tomorra, eh? My've gott sentry duty right after the story-tellin'." She ambled across the clearing and settled herself at the rear of the group of Gungans, where she could slip away without distracting anyone. The three human teens moved to join the rest of their party, Edvic still fuming. 

Peskis stood looking around the group in mock surprise. 

"Well, well. Dissen a 'stinguished -- an' large -- audience. Mesa overwhelmed." The Ankuran Gungan grinned. "My'll have to tell my'n best stories tonight, eh? Now, lessen see, what should wesa tell..." 

"Tell'n da one 'bout'n the guds mekkin' the unnerwater maze!" 

"The _pikobi_ trickin' da _shaupaut_!" 

"The story uff the Kintara Patrol!" 

Several of the riders looked surprised at that request. Peskis seemed to consider, then glanced to his right. Standing in the shadows on that side of the clearing, Tarpals caught Peskis's eye and shook his head. _Not that one. Not tonight._

Peskis smiled and nodded. "Dose'n all good idees, an' mebbe wesa tell dem later, but right now mesa want'n tell a story wesa talked 'bout today. What wesa gonna tell, Temmis?" 

"The Bargain Story!" Temmis replied. The Gungans looked at one another around their side of the circle. There were several nods. 

"Right-o. Da Bargain Story it iss."


	4. Chapter 4

Tarpals stood just outside the circle of the light and watched the audience settle in. He'd caught most of the tale Peskis had told earlier; obviously the Ankuran was a fine storyteller. Storytellers and Memory Keepers were respected in Gungan society, but tonight, Tarpals decided regretfully, was not the time for him to listen to the old tales.  
  
He turned away and made the round of his sentries. Two of the experienced patrol riders had each brought a _militiagung_ with them for training. Tarpals listened to their reports; recalling Artil's style of command, the captain made a few encouraging remarks to each of them, and continued on. The last sentry turned out to be Kimma Nril.  
  
"Lieutenant Peskis seemed to think it would be all right if I sat a watch," she told him. "Don't look so surprised. I've had more than the average amount of training. Just because I left military service to raise a family doesn't mean I've forgotten everything."  
  
Tarpals settled himself on the fallen log beside her, automatically facing in the opposite direction, his left hip and shoulder a hand span away from her right. It was a common position for two Patrol riders who planned to talk while still watching the area around them; it placed each Gungan's mouth close to the other's ear, allowing them to watch each other's back. "You obviously didn't serve in Otoh Gunga, or any of the Mounted Patrols. You're young enough that I'd remember you. Where were you assigned?"  
  
"I was with the Flying Wings, trained and stationed in Otoh Dinistallis."  
  
Tarpals blinked; the Flying Wings, riders of the aquatic creatures known as _aiwhas_, were among the most elite of the Gungan military units, even more so than the Mounted Patrols. Otoh Dinistallis, the only Gungan city actually built on and around an ocean cliffside, was the sole training area for the _aiwha_ riders. "A most impressive post. How long ago did you leave?"  
  
"Sixteen seasons," she replied. "We Took Temmis In the following season, and Plirri ten seasons after that." Gungans divided a year into two seasons, a rainy season and a "dry" season, when it only rained every two or three days. "I'd like to Take In another child or two and raise them before returning to service."  
  
"And your _essoans_?"  
  
"Neither of them went beyond the basic training. Sen Tal farms and hunts, and Hanar makes clothing and other items. They make for a good family."  
  
"You chose well," Tarpals agreed.  
  
Kimma inclined her head slightly in acceptance of the compliment. "Captain, if I might ask a question.... Why are we going to Splitrock? It's a prominent landmark, and much of the area is exposed. Won't we be more noticeable to the _maccaneeks_?"  
  
Tarpals nodded. "We will. But there's a cache hidden in one of our wayposts there. We'll need the extra food, ammunitions, weapons, and clothing. The bundles we took from the _maccaneeks_ earlier today contain a lot of items for the _Naaboo_, but very little for our people. We'll have a better chance of making it to the Sacred Place safely with those supplies. At the very least, we need to replenish our supplies of _buumas_. And we won't be going out of our way by stopping there."  
  
"Ah." Kimma was still scanning the forest over Tarpals's shoulder. "So we would have been heading in the direction of Tendesay anyway. Taking the _Naaboo_ isn't as altruistic gesture as I thought."  
  
"No. It's not. I don't have any particular fondness for the _Naaboo_. Apparently it was their affairs that brought this _maccaneek_ invasion down on us in the first place. If the _Naaboo_ in the convoy had all been adults, I probably would have left them behind."  
  
"That's not exactly a sound military decision, is it?" Kimma remarked. "After all, the adults can be trained to do complex tasks relatively quickly, and would really be more useful than the children. _Naaboo_ or not, I think your decision was made more from kindness than you realize."  
  
The captain snorted. "I'm a soldier, but I'd like to think I'm not completely heartless." He stared out into the darkness.  
  
"Maybe helping the _Naaboo_ is one more small defeat for the _maccaneeks_," Kimma suggested. "Thank you for rescuing us, by the way."  
  
"I've been meaning to ask you how you came to be prisoners with the _Naaboo_."  
  
Kimma sighed. "Our settlement was withdrawing to our Sacred Place when we were attacked by the _maccaneeks_. They seized Plirri and Hanar and several others before anyone could stop them. We didn't have many other soldiers in our group, and few weapons." She turned her head to look at him. "I couldn't let them take my youngest child, or any other members of my family without me, so Sen Tal and I surrendered too. The _maccaneeks_ took us to one of places they're holding the _Naaboo_. I think we were included in this particular group because we had children."  
  
Tarpals frowned. "Rep Brand-ess said the _Naaboo_ children belong to families in key government positions and were being separated from their parents to force the adults to agree to this _maccaneek_ invasion."  
  
"I know. That's barbaric! The only reason I can think of for them not splitting my family up is that all of our people look alike to them, and they didn't realize we were the parents." She shook her head. "I don't understand it. But I'm glad you rescued them along with us, Captain."  
  
Tarpals tilted his head in a shrug. "All of us have family. And too many have died already. Speaking of which.... I won't deny that we need all the experienced military members we have, but for now, I'm sending you back to _your_ family. I'll take this watch. If you insist on standing sentry duty, come back and relieve me when the storytelling is finished."  
  
"Yes, sir." Kimma rose, then turned back to face him. "Captain, if I may ask.... what about your family?"  
  
Much of Tarpals's clan family was scattered throughout Gungan territory. At least a few members of each of the eight Gungan clans lived in all of the large cities and settlements, which meant that he had relatives everywhere. "Many of my clan-family members living in Otoh Gunga left with the main evacuation. As for the rest," here he paused, "I don't know. If all went well, everyone made it to one of the Sacred Places safely." His voice trailed off. He'd heard nothing from Tanoh Matawba and the Shrine Keeper there, the family member he cared the most about. "It depends on where the _maccaneeks_ have been searching for us. None of us will know until we've reached the Sacred Place."  
  
"I hope they're all safe," Kimma told him softly.  
  
Tarpals nodded; he knew what Treece would have said, were she present. "It's all in the hands of the gods now."  
  
"Yes, sir." Kimma turned away. "I'll be back later, Captain."  
  
Tarpals took her place on the fallen log and scanned the dark forest, listening, smelling, and remembering.  
  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
  
_The scouts positioned at the surface of Lake Paonga signaled the city that the _maccaneek_ army had reached the water's edge. The scouts then scattered, duty fulfilled. They would hide among the water plants in the shallows until it was safe to move, then would make their way to the Sacred Place and assist with the evacuees.  
  
Tarpals and the riders of the Third Mounted Patrol sat at attention astride their_ kaadu,_ scanning the surface. Many of Otoh Gunga's families had already been evacuated to safety; a few of the ruling Council, including Governor Rugor Nass, had remained behind, but ships waited to speed them away as well if the defenses failed. Tarpals had been in agreement with General Yoss -- if the _maccaneek_ army they had seen on the surface was any indication of the invaders' fighting equipment and style, it was unlikely that Otoh Gunga's defenses would hold them back for long. The defenses consisted of several energy barriers that ringed the city, as well as large catapults mounted on the underwater walls and bottom of Lake Paonga. The catapults could be detached from their anchorage and moved; several of them were often taken to the surface for practice drills when General Yoss trained her officers.  
  
The barriers and catapults, however, would be of little use against an army of small, maneuverable submarines; the defenses had been designed to protect the city from the huge underwater monsters that occasionally attacked the Gungan cities and settlements. The Gungans had a small fleet of armed ships, which supplemented the anchored defenses, but again, these were meant to be used against a single large target. Yoss herself was overseeing the catapults; she stood at the controls of a _bon-gho_, one of the small submarines developed to carry passengers and cargo around the city. The sub would also carry the artillery officers to safety if the city fell.  
  
Rugor Nass was seated astride a _falumpaset_, to the right of the patrol. Once a soldier, then later an engineer, the Ankuran Gungan had risen to his present position as Otoh Gunga's Governor. The Governor and the Patrol Captain had had many differences over the years; now they were united in their desire to protect the city. But Nass knew, probably better than anyone else, how inadequate the defenses would be.  
  
The surface above rippled as large, triangular shapes entered the water. For several moments, the shapes cruised back and forth on the surface; the Gungans watched them warily.  
  
Without warning, the floor bucked beneath them; several of the_ kaadu_ staggered, bawling. Their riders reined them in and scanned the bubble dwelling's ceiling, searching for the source of the explosions.  
  
"There!" Ven Artil pointed up at the light surface of the lake above them. As the patrol watched, tiny shapes drifted down into the middle-range waters over the city. One of the shapes suddenly blossomed into a shock of light. A moment later an explosion thundered through the city, and the bubble dwelling heaved and shuddered. _Kaadu _and riders tilted sideways and slid across the floor. Behind him, Tarpals could hear the cries and shouts of the foot soldiers.  
  
One after another, the tiny shapes exploded. Other bubble dwellings in the city shuddered under the attack; one of the dwellings, its energy generators and floatation rudders damaged, suddenly winked out and imploded, water rushing into the void left by the released air as it bubbled to the lake's surface. A second, then a third sphere shattered under the forces of the explosions.  
  
Tarpals twisted in the saddle and shouted to his aide. "Rell Iss! Signal the artillery! Give them the enemy's positions and tell them to fire!"  
  
The younger Gungan whirled his signal flares. A few moments later the catapult batteries, mounted on the lake's walls and floor, opened fire. The huge energy_ buumas,_ each massing enough concentrated energy to give the largest of the ocean monsters pause, hurtled upward into the mass of ships concentrated at the lake surface. Blue lightning raced across _maccaneek_ hulls as the_ buumas _struck their targets; some of the ships listed onto their sides and their lights failed. Behind Tarpals, a cheer went up from the assembled Gungans. Tarpals's hand slashed in a signal for silence.  
  
Several of the ships broke formation at the surface sped to take up a position over the artillery units. Bursts of light sped from the ships toward the catapults. The brilliance of the lights forced Tarpals and his command to turn their heads and close their eyes. When they looked again, two craters in the lake wall had replaced two of the catapults. A third catapult fired, and one of the attacking ships flared with light, and then went dark.  
  
More of the smaller, dark shapes, closer now, dropped among the bubble dwellings and exploded. More bubbles imploded and winked out.  
  
Tarpals turned again to Rell Iss. "Sound the evacuation!"  
  
Artil gave him an anguished look, then closed his eyes and bowed his head. The second-in-command had had family in one of the destroyed dwellings.  
  
Several of the other patrol members protested.  
  
"Our defenses are meant to keep the ocean monsters out!" Tarpals snapped. "We have no surface defenses besides the artillery! Nothing has ever attacked us this way before! There's no point to losing our lives in an unwinable battle! Fall back! All but the final line of defenders, escort the Governor to the evacuation ships!" Nass scowled, but wheeled his mount and set out at a trot for the launch bay, bellowing at the few remaining civilians to follow him.  
  
"Rell Iss! Signal General Yoss! Tell her we're evacuating, and need clear escape routes for the fleet!" Tarpals turned to Artil. "Take half the patrol. You're in charge of the escort for the Council's evacuation. Get the Governor and the Rep Council away."  
  
Artil's_ kaadu _turned so that the rider was facing Tarpals. Ven Artil's left hand reached up to grip Tarpals's right biceps. Tarpals mirrored the gesture; each Gungan's weapon pointed over the other's shoulder.  
  
The gesture was known as "the circle" -- it allowed the two participants to watch one another's backs without taking away their ability to use their weapons. The gesture signified the reliance each participant had on the other, and protection each offered the other. Circles figured prominently in Gungan society; the seasons were represented as a circle, as were the stages of life, the directions, and many other concepts. Tarpals's own clan-family symbol was a pair of _zalaacas_, depicted with the head of each at the hip of the other, done in silver, aqua and purple. It was not unusual for two life-partners to exchange circular wrist-, ear-, or armbands; the bonding ceremony itself was performed with the partners in the same positions Tarpals and his second now held.  
  
"The gods keep all of us safe," Artil said, giving the formal parting.  
  
"We will see you at the Sacred Place," Tarpals told him. They both let go, and then each brought the tip of his weapon to the bridge of his nose in a salute.  
  
Artil clapped his heels against his_ kaadu_'s flank and the animal sprang forward. "Evacuation guard, with me!" Half of the Third Mounted Patrol members wheeled their animals and trotted after him. The other half watched Tarpals expectantly.  
  
"Attack group, to our ships!" Tarpals ordered, and the riders surged forward. Rell Iss waved his signal flares to send the last commands, then leaped down from his post and mounted his own_ kaadu,_ cantering at the rear of the attack force on its way to the submarine launch bays._  
  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
  
Kimma Nril slipped into place beside her two _essoans_ and children midway through the story. "The _fambaa_, hesa sedd, 'My will giff dem my strengt', to carry heavy t'ings wit' ease'. An' the _blarth_, shesa sedd, 'Mesa givin' dem my companionship, so deysa always hev someone to share dersan homes'. Den the buhds said, 'Wesa givin' oursan se'fs an' oursan h'eggs as food.'  
  
"_Maatra Guungan_, shesa t'ought 'bout all'n the animals' offers for a while. It didn't seem fair to tekk from all'n the animals and not give ennyt'ing back. At last shesa sess, 'O'mas, Creator, diss'n not right. Iss'n not fair for ussan to tekk all'n the time and give nuttin' back. Whenever wesa tekk some-att from the animals, wesa should give some-att in return. Wesa gonna leave food for the animals, an' nebber tekk more dan wesa needin'. An' at the end of oursan lives, wesa given ourse'fs back to dem as well.  
  
"Seein' the wisdom of _Maatra Guungan_, O'mas agreed, an' blessed the bargain."  
  
Peskis finished his tale and bowed. "Allus a good t'ing to remember a bargain, eh? Wesa gotten time for another short one afore wesa sendin' the _sprattlings_ off to bed, mesa t'inks...."  
  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Hela Brandes woke before sunrise. Wincing at her stiff muscles and aching back, she had to make three attempts before she was able to crawl out of the wood and leaf shelter. Camping in the wilderness, she thought wryly, had never been of interest to her, and now she knew why. The children, most of whom had fallen asleep from sheer exhaustion, were huddled together behind her. Yané was curled up asleep by herself. Saché, Edvic, and the Eckener twins had chosen to sleep in the shelter to her right, and the Gungan family was presumably asleep in the third, possibly with a few of the patrol riders sharing the space.  
  
Mist shrouded the forest; small pattering sounds heralded the passing of several animals somewhere in the brush. Brandes could barely make out the hunched forms of the other two shelters. Everything looked different from last night, but she thought she could remember the way to the stream where the Gungans had pastured their riding beasts.  
  
A bath, even if it were just a quick sponging-off, would help immensely, she thought. Neither she nor the children had bathed since before being loaded onto the droid transports, two days ago. Probably she should wake one of the teens and have them watch the children. In fact, it might be a good idea to get everyone up and take turns at whatever bathing time they could get.  
  
Brandes found the opening to the second shelter and crouched down to peer inside. "Saché," she whispered. The Handmaiden stirred. "Saché!" The girl's eyes opened and she blinked sleepily at Brandes. "Wake the others. I'm going to see about arranging for us to get baths."  
  
A few minutes later Brandes stood in the middle of the clearing where the storytelling had been held the night before. Facing the shelters, she knew the stream was on her left. She turned and set out, passing through a short section of heavily wooded forest. Ahead she could see a lighter spot in the fog – the edge of the pasture area.  
  
Shapes moved in the misted meadow – the _kaadu_ seemed to be rooting around for food. The larger bulks of the _falumpasets_ stood motionless; the animals were still apparently asleep. Brandes skirted around them at the very edge of the meadow. If she frightened the animals, goodness only knew how they'd respond.  
  
The meadow sloped down a hill and into more woods. Here the stream burbled over stones and fallen branches. Brandes crouched and splashed water on her face and hands, grateful for the warmth of the forest air. Peering through the mist, she could see the stream meandering for several lengths to her right, where it apparently opened out into a small pool.  
  
She climbed part way up the bank and followed the stream, arriving at the edge of the pool. The water here was deeper and slower, and the trees provided enough cover to insure privacy for bathing.  
  
Anticipating her bath, the human woman stepped onto one of the flat stones on the edge of the pool, and froze.  
  
Through the thin tendrils of mist she could make out the form of a Gungan whose grey skin blended almost perfectly into the morning fog. Clouds of mist trailed past him, rising. Tarpals sat with his back to her, a stone's toss away down the shore, apparently unaware of her presence. Through a gap in the mist she could see him sitting, head up, elbows resting on his knees. For several minutes he sat motionless. Then he reached out with his left hand to scoop up a palmful of water. Dipping the fingers of his right hand into the water, he flicked his fingers to his right, then his left, then forward; finally he twisted around to spray the water behind him. If he was surprised to see the human woman standing at the edge of the pool, he gave no sign. At last he dipped his fingers into the water a final time and touched them to the spot between his eyes, his lips, and the center of his chest, and shook his left hand over the water to return what little was left to the pool. Then in a fluid motion he rose, stretched, and turned to look at her.  
  
"I – I'm sorry," she stammered. "I didn't know you were here. I was just hoping to get a bath before we left this morning."  
  
"Thissen a good spot," Tarpals remarked, moving toward her and reaching up into a set of tree branches. Now that he was closer, Brandes got a good look at him – and realized he was completely undressed.  
She blushed and looked away.  
  
"Yousa feeling all right?" He sounded genuinely concerned.  
  
"I'm, ah, fine. It's just that, ah, I was surprised by your state of undress." She risked a glance at him; he was standing with what appeared to be his leather trousers in hand, head cocked to one side in puzzlement. She looked away again. "Um, humans have a nudity taboo. Most of the time we keep our clothes on around each other."  
  
"Uhn-huhn. Yousa plannin' on tekkin' a bath with yoursan clothes on?" Now he sounded amused.  
  
"No, of course not. I'll, ah, just come back when you're done." She turned away.  
  
"Mesa done heah." Tarpals had removed the rest of his clothing from the tree branches. Brandes watched him out of the corner of her eyes. "All yoursan. When yousa done, though, gottens some things for yousa to look at."  
  
_I'm almost afraid to ask...._ she thought wryly.  
  
"Those supplies wesa took out'n the _maccaneek_ wagons -- yousa want to look through them, see iff'n thersa anything yousa needin'." He paused, then added, "Seemin' to be lotta h'extra clothes. 'Spect yousa finden' them useful." With that he slung his own clothes over his shoulder and left her to her bathing.


	5. Chapter 5

The bundles yielded several sets of clothes, along with containers of food and some medical supplies. The girls and Brandes were pleased to discover sets of trousers among the clothing. "No more riding in skirts!" Yané exclaimed. Some of the clothing didn't fit properly – much was too large, and a few items were too small – but there seemed to be enough for everyone to find at least one outfit other than the ones they were wearing. Clean clothes seemed especially appealing, Brandes thought happily, after getting a bath.  
  
Most of the humans had had to settle for a quick sponge bath without soap, but everyone seemed the better for it, even Edvic. The useable clothing and supplies had been packed onto the animals, the non-useable items had been buried, the shelters disassembled, and all personal effects gathered up. Looking around the former campsite, Brandes could hardly believe anyone had been there at all.  
  
"Dassen the point," Kimma Nril remarked. She was seated astride one of the _kaadu_ alone -- apparently she had been promoted, Brandes thought. Sen Tal and Hanar were each sharing the saddle with one of the Gungan children; Plirri was still wearing his blue feather tied to the top of one _haillu_.  
  
As before, the humans mounted the _falumpasets_ and the group set out, with Tarpals again riding near the rear of the group, watching and thinking. Eventually he motioned Rell Iss to ride beside him. "I've been thinking about the Splitrock waystation," Tarpals said. "The area is open and exposed, and the last thing we need is for the _maccaneeks_ to find us there. I'm sending in a small group – three or four at most. I'm assigning Herns and Jenais; Jenais has ridden this route a number of times and is familiar with the area. I want you to go as well."  
  
Rell Iss jerked in surprise. "Me, Captain?"  
  
Tarpals turned his head to peer at his aide. "Do you see anyone else riding next to me?"  
  
"No, sir."  
  
"You're also familiar with the area. You know the message signals in case of an emergency. And you're due for an assignment on your own."  
  
"Yes, sir!" Rell Iss grinned broadly. "Thank you, Captain!"  
  
"In addition, I'm counting on you to keep Herns in line," Tarpals told him.  
  
Rell Iss's grin vanished. "Uh, Captain?"  
  
"I realize that technically he outranks you, and of course he's physically larger, and he seems to have a belligerent streak that is no doubt responsible for his failure to rise through the ranks, but I'm sure you'll be able to keep him out of trouble," Tarpals continued.  
  
Rell Iss ducked a low-lying branch, and then stared at his commanding officer. "Uh, yes, sir."  
  
"Show a little more enthusiasm, _Caadrey_," Tarpals ordered, using Rell Iss's rank.  
  
"Yes, sir!" Rell Iss managed a marginally more robust response.  
  
They rode in silence for a few minutes. "Rell Iss."  
  
"Yes, sir."  
  
"I was joking about making you responsible for Herns." Tarpals noticed his aide's eyestalks and _haillu_ droop in relief.  
  
"Yes, Captain."  
  
"Ven Artil seems to think I need to improve my sense of humor." Tarpals shot his aide a wry look. "Apparently it still needs some work."  
  
"It's not my place to say, sir," Rell Iss replied tactfully.  
  
His captain snorted softly in amusement. "I'll take that as a 'yes'." He shifted in the saddle. "I'm sending Kimma Nril to complete the group. If she can keep two _essoans_ and a pair of _sprattlings_ in line, I suspect she's more than capable of dealing with Herns. Your job is to help locate the waystation entrance, transfer the supplies, and warn us of any danger in the area."  
  
"Yes, Captain!" Rell Iss sounded much more confidant this time. He cleared his throat. "Captain, may I ask a question?"  
  
"Of course."  
  
"You're sending Herns on this mission to get him away from the _Naaboo_, aren't you?"  
  
"Partly. And partly because he needs something to keep him occupied. Any commander worth the title learns to use his or her personnel to the group's best advantage. Herns seems to work best when he's focused on a task. He did well during our attack on the _maccaneek_ transports. I suspect he'd be command material if he could get his behavior under better control. We'll see. I'll expect a report from you when you return."  
  
"Yes, Captain. How soon do you expect us to arrive at Splitrock?"  
  
"The day after tomorrow. We're going to keep the main group under the cover of the woods, so we'll stop tomorrow afternoon and make a semi-permanent camp. You should only have a partial day's ride to the waypost. With skill, and luck, you should be back the next evening."  
  
Further ahead in the group, Hela Brandes had discovered that while _falumpasets_ could be surly and difficult to ride, they were also predominantly herd animals. Once they started moving, they continued on as long as the rest of the herd walked. Eventually the woman could shift some of her attention to what was going on around them, giving the animal only occasional tugs on the reins to keep it moving in the right direction.  
  
She watched as one of the Gungans reached up and ran his fingers along the underside of branches as he rode. For a moment she wondered if it was some sort of religious ritual, like the one she had watched Tarpals perform that morning; then the rider lowered his arm, hand cupped around something, and tipped the contents of his hand into his mouth. Chewing, the rider scanned the surrounding trees, guided his _kaadu_ to walk under another tree, and repeated the motions.  
  
Brandes glanced around at the rest of the Gungans; many of them seemed to be doing the same. Kimma Nril, several riders ahead of Brandes, gathered her handful of whatever-it-was, and then slowed her _kaadu_ until it walked beside the animal carrying her youngest son. The youngster took the offering and transferred whatever was in his hand to his mouth, using his long, nimble tongue.  
  
"Excuse me," Brandes said to Orrin, who was riding directly behind them, "but what is everyone eating?"  
  
"Deysa _ipsil_ seeds," Orrin replied. She stood in the saddle and ran her hand along a branch, then showed the palmful of small seeds to Brandes. "Deysa ripe now, good ettin'." The Gungan cupped her hand around the _ipsil_ seeds. "Heah -- tekk dem." She tipped the handful into Brandes's palm, then leaned forward to take the _falumpaset_'s bridle as Brandes gingerly rolled a few of the seeds into her mouth. They crunched between her teeth; a nutty flavor filled her mouth.  
  
"They're good." She twisted in the saddle to pass offer some to Zanté and the Eckener twins. Orrin grinned and let go of the bridle, reaching up for another handful that she passed directly to Irric.  
  
"I've seen branches that had the same kind of nuts we picked up last night," the boy said as his sister picked some of the seeds out of his hand.  
  
The Gungan nodded. "Lott'n the trees ready to drop nuts an' berries," she said.  
  
"Diss'n good time for gatherin'," came Peskis's voice as the Ankuran Gungan rode up beside them. He leaned forward, ducking a branch, and peered at Irric. "So! Yousa remember what wesa found yestiddy, eh?"  
Irric nodded. "I think so. I recognize the leaves on that one--" he pointed to a tree as they passed it "--and some of the low plants look like the ones we dug for roots from."  
  
Peskis grinned. "Yiss, yiss! Berry good. Findin' food iss important for Patrol riders. How 'bout yousa come wit' mesa and see how much weas findin'?"  
  
"Really? All right!"  
  
"Now, wait a minute --" Brandes began.  
  
"No fair!" exclaimed Nalla. "I can do it, too!"  
  
"'Course'n," Peskis remarked agreeably. "But deysa on'y room for one'a yousan inna saddle heah. Irric, hesa come wit' mesa now, an' yousa come wit' me dis afternoon, h'okay?"  
  
"Promise?" Nalla asked cautiously.  
  
Peskis nodded. "Promise. An' mebbe tomorrow, mesa tekkin' Zanté, heh?" The girl buried her face in Brandes's shirt nervously.  
  
Brandes shook her head. "I'm not sure I like having Irric away from the group. This isn't a pleasure ride, or a picnic...."  
  
The Gungan's face took on a solemn expression. "Rep Brand-ess, right now deysa none of ussan safe anywheres. The _sprattling_, hesa in as much danger heah as wit' mesa searching for food. Least'n diss'a way, hesa doin' some-att for ever'one, yiss?"  
  
"I suppose so." Brandes sighed. "I suppose we'll need to stop so he can switch animals—"  
  
Peskis laughed. "No needin' dat." His _kaadu_ matched the _falumpaset_'s pace and drew close enough for the Gungan's stirrup to nudge the larger animal's flank. "Now, yousa swing yoursa leg h'over so's deysa both on dis side – wit'out kickin' ennyone." Irric carefully slid his leg in front of him and shifted his weight. Brandes held her breath, but the boy didn't seem the least bit nervous. "Now, yousa step like'n dis and mesa catch yousa heah...." and a moment later Peskis swung Irric across the gap between the two animals and into the saddle behind him. "Hang onto mesa."  
  
Irric grasped the Gungan's tunic and turned to grin at his sister and the other passengers. Brandes exhaled in relief.  
  
"An' 'way wesa go! See yousan later!" Peskis clucked to his mount; the _kaadu_ broke into a trot and soon disappeared into the forest ahead of the group, Irric grinning every step of the way. Several of the riders, however, shot them disapproving looks as they passed, and a couple turned to scowl at Brandes over their shoulders.  
  
Orrin, still riding beside the humans, scowled back, and the riders hastily turned their attention away.  
  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
  
In midmorning, Tarpals again ordered Rell Iss to signal a halt to give the animals a rest. Most of the command scattered -- some to watch for danger, others to tend the animals. The riders who had been on point and at the rear rode in, dismounting and accepting the edibles Peskis and Irric had brought back.  
  
Tarpals called Orrin and Peskis over as he stood off to one side, watching the surrounding forest. He briefly outlined the plan he had discussed with his aide earlier that morning. "I'm going to need both of you to assign duties and keep track of activities. Orrin, you're going to be filling in for Rell Iss while he's gone."  
  
"Yes, sir. Captain, may I recommend that you send the two female _Naaboo tsanin_ with the group?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Sir, they both seem capable --"  
  
"This matter is not open to debate, Lieutenant!" Tarpals's eyes narrowed. "We are not giving any more of our secrets away to the _Naaboo_ than is absolutely necessary."  
  
Orrin opened her mouth, closed it again, and finally said, "Yes, sir."  
  
"Besides, I have something for the _Naaboo_ to do, and it includes both you and Lieutenant Peskis."  
  
Orrin blinked at him curiously.  
  
"It occurs to me that we've been immensely lucky up to this point at avoiding the _maccaneeks_." Tarpals clasped his hands behind his back and continued scanning the woods around them. "I don't trust luck. I appreciate it when it's present, but I don't trust it. The _Naaboo_ know nothing about survival, or military protocol. I want you and Peskis to start teaching them the basics of the _chesna-recorr_, the same signs we teach the older children when they begin their required training. When Rell Iss returns from the waypost, he's going to start drilling them in some of the message horn signals as well. And everyone is going to practice emergency maneuvers – I want the children and the _Naaboo_ able to get out of the way as quickly as possible if we're attacked. Do you understand?"  
  
"Yes, Captain!" Orrin drew herself to attention, a note of pleasure in her voice. "Sir, I've been thinking about something. It would help if the _Naaboo_ could actually control the _falumpasets_ by themselves. Having our riders leading them, as well as guiding their own mounts, just slows the whole process."  
  
"I know. The best way to solve that problem is to give three of the _Naaboo_ practice with the _falumpasets_. Show them how the tack works, and get them to practice turning the animals."  
  
"The _Naaboo_ should also help care for the animals in the evening," Orrin said. "That way the _falumpasets_ will get used to their smell, and the _Naaboo_ will get used to the way the _falumpasets_ move."  
  
"Yes, very good. See to it."  
  
"Captain, the _Naaboo_ mentioned something about needing to heat their food in order to eat it," Peskis said. "They seem to think it's necessary, especially with the meat. We heat several kinds of medicines before they're used. They could use the same technique on their food. All we'd need is a _pyrus_ and a leather hide." A _pyrus_ was a specially treated _buuma_ that, when punctured, discharged its heat evenly over a long period of time. Gungans had no word for "fire" – in the wet world of the swamplands, nothing burned easily. Every Patrol rider's standard equipment kit included at least one or two _pyrus_ as part of the emergency medical supplies.  
  
Tarpals considered – in addition to heat, the _pyrus_ also produced a fair amount of light. Last night, the Gungans had used a small luminescent glow-sphere, salvaged from the _maccaneek_ convoy, to provide minimal lighting. While the _Naaboo_ had found it inadequate, there had been enough illumination for Gungan eyes; Tarpals's people had evolved to see well in the dim light of their underwater world.  
  
Still, healthy people traveled better than ill ones. "All right. We'll make camp early today. That will give our special mission team a head start, and light from a _pyrus_ will be less visible."  
  
The group stopped again briefly at mid-day, then in mid-afternoon. This time Tarpals had chosen a heavily wooded area, with only a few gaps in the tree canopy overhead. If the _Naaboo_ were going to light a _pyrus_, at least they'd all be under cover and completely surrounded by brush.  
  
The Gungans who had been riding in the middle of the group for the afternoon moved off to take up sentry duty. Those who had ridden point or at the rear fanned out to set up shelters and pasture the riding animals. Tarpals called aside his chosen group of four for a briefing.  
  
"I'm assigning you the task of riding ahead to the Splitrock outpost to retrieve the supplies hidden there," he said. "We used up a great deal of our available ammunition in the raid on the _maccaneek_ transport two days ago. Our food supplies are limited to what we can find in foraging each day, and extra clothing is at a premium. There are other useful items, including medical supplies, at the outpost as well. While I believe we could reach the Sacred Place in our present condition, I've decided to take the chance at the waystation. We can use those supplies, and our chances of surviving detection by the _maccaneeks_ would improve a great deal with more ammunition.  
  
"Your task is simple. Locate the waystation, remove the supplies, and bring them back to us without giving our position to the _maccaneeks_. I'm sending Jenais because he's familiar with the area and the entrance to the waystation. Rell Iss is going along to provide a second guide and to relay messages in case of an emergency. I want to keep the rest of our experienced riders here to continue training the _militiagungs_. Therefore, I'm sending Kimma Nril, who has volunteered to assist. Herns, I'm putting you in charge. Take two of the _falumpasets_ -- they can carry more of a load than the _kaadu_."  
  
"Yes, Captain!" Presented with a chance to use his skills, Herns's belligerence had vanished.  
  
"Take every precaution," Tarpals ordered him. "If there's any chance of you encountering the _maccaneeks_, forget the waystation and get out of there. I'd rather have all four of you back alive and well; you're more valuable than every scrap of gear in that outpost. Do you understand?"  
  
"Yes, Captain."  
  
Tarpals nodded. "Good hunting to you all. Dismissed."  



	6. Chapter 6

As the special mission team made their preparations, Orrin led Saché, Yané, and Melni Bibble away to help care for the riding animals, and Peskis gathered the rest of humans together for their first lessons. First he showed them how to dig a pit in the ground and line it with flat stones; the displaced dirt and plants were laid to one side. ("Wesa putt'n dem bekk after wesa done," he explained.) Selecting four sticks from the surrounding forest, he showed the humans how to lash them together to form a holder. The Gungan produced a set of braided grass ropes and a leather hide square; once the square hide was stretched out, each side was as long as his arm. Then he led the way to the stream.  
  
"Now, yousa watch close," Peskis instructed. He tied one end of one rope around one corner of the hide, and then tied the other end to the opposite corner. He repeated the procedure with the second rope; the hide now resembled a pouch with two handles. Peskis dipped the hide in the stream, then drew it out again, full of water. He carried it to the clearing and draped the ropes over the stick holder. The hide hung just over the pit they had dug in the soil.  
  
The Gungan laid the _pyrus_ in the pit and drew what looked like a bone knife from the back of his belt. "Stand bekk, pleece." He leaned back himself as he thrust the tip of the knife into the _pyrus_. The top of the ball "popped" into a burst of light and a wave of heat. The humans gasped; the Gungan reflexively closed his eyes. A moment later the blue light from the _pyrus_ had crept partway up the hide pouch.  
  
"That's amazing!" Brandes exclaimed.  
  
"Iss chust controlled h'energy," Peskis remarked. "When iss all gone, deysa not even any waste. Now, yousa all watch diss'n. Mekk sure the water in da pouch stays higher than the light, h'okay? Otherwise, yoursan boiling hide's gonna get ruin't." He solemnly held the knife hilt out to Nalla. "Yousa wanna cut up all'n dose roots an' meat an' put dem in once the water is boilin'." Several of the children grimaced; one of the Gungans had managed to bring down some sort of animal, and strips of the meat had been brought to the humans.  
  
"All right." The girl grasped the knife, but the Gungan did not let go.  
  
"Fust, needs'a teach yousa some-att else. When yousa passin' some-att sharp liken dis, yousa wanna mekk sure no one's gettin' hu'tt. Allus pass dis with the handle towards th'other puh-son, an' the blade up liken dis, so yousa don' cut yoursa hand. Th'other puh-son, shesa say, 'T'anka yous' when shesa gott'n hold of the handle an' isn't goin' to drop it. Unnerstand?"  
  
"Yes," said Nalla. Her finger tightened on the hilt. "Thank you." This time, Peskis let go.  
  
"Now, wesa practice dat a bit. Pass dat to Irric."  
  
Nalla repeated Peskis's handling of the knife, received the correct response from her brother, and let go. "Good. Pass dat to Arlan." The knife continued on around the circle of humans, to Brandes, then Edvic, then to Zanté. The dark-haired girl hesitated, then carefully took the knife hilt and opened her mouth -- but no sound emerged.  
  
"Go on, Zanté," Brandes urged. The girl tried again, with the same results. Then she turned away, eyes filling with tears.  
  
Brandes reached over to stroke her hair. "Zanté, it's all right--"  
  
"Wait." Peskis moved to crouch beside the girl. His four-fingered hand cupped the human's chin and lifted. "Deysa times when wesa can't or shouldn't talk, when wesa huntin' an' don' want to mekk noise, or when someone's too far 'way to hear ussan. Times liken dat, wesa use _chesna-recorr_; mesa t'ink diss'n becomin' 'hunter-speech' in _Bassic_. Talk wit' oursan hands. Iff'n yousa want say 'T'anka yous', yousa do liken dis." Peskis put the fingertips of his right hand against his chest, and then moved them to his lips. "Liken dat. Dis hand." He took Zanté's wrist and placed the girl's hand against her chest. The girl sniffled, and then touched her chest and lips in an imitation of Peskis's gesture. The Gungan grinned and let go.  
  
"Now, turn dis'n 'round and pass it bekk to Nalla." Zanté carefully turned the knife so that she was holding the blade, flat edge against her palm, and held it out to the other girl. Nalla, grinning, made the "thank you" gesture, and Zanté let go. A relieved chuckle ran through the group, and Peskis patted Zanté on the shoulder.  
  
"Lott'n signs iss berry simple," Peskis told the group. "While wesa waitin' for da water to boilin', mesa teach yousa some'a dem. Yousa pro'lly know the one for 'come he-ah'...."  
  
  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
  
Orrin watched as Saché deftly untangled the reins of the _falumpaset'_s bridle. "Yousa worked wit' ridin' animals before?" the Gungan asked.  
  
"Yes. We've both ridden gualamas. It's required training for one of the Queen's handmaidens. Yané has also ridden tusk-cats."  
  
"That was several years ago, though, when I was a young girl," Yané added. "Friends of my family had several, and I just begged my parents to let me learn. I never thought it would come in handy for something like this."  
  
The girls and the Gungan had taken the tack off all three of the _falumpasets_; Orrin and two of the other riders had searched among the bushes and grasses and returned with several prickly plant pods they used to brush the animals' coats before letting them out to pasture. One of the other riders had then carefully run his hands over the animals' legs and feet, checking for signs of injury. Finally he said something to Orrin (he seemed uncomfortable with talking to the humans) and walked away to examine the _kaadu_.  
  
The Gungan cocked her head. "Mesa din't know the _Naaboo_ hedd riding animals," she remarked. "Thought yousan all rode 'round in those floating wagons of yoursan."  
  
"No. It's expected of the Queen's Handmaidens to be able to ride, if only for ceremonial purposes," Saché explained. "The Queen has a private herd of gualamas, as well as gualaras. Many of the people living in the country herd shaaks, and use tusk-cats as riding animals, too."  
  
Orrin nodded, then held one of the bridles out to Melni Bibble, who was sitting in the grass examining the leather tack straps for signs of wear. "He-ah. Pull th'other end of diss'n, pleece." The human girl took the ends of the reins, while Orrin held one of the face straps, and both tugged. Orrin nodded, satisfied. "Wesa use the _kaadu_, an' _falumpasets_ for most'n oursan riding," she said. "For rilly heavy loads, wesa use _fambaa_."  
  
"Really?" Melni stared at her, wide-eyed. _Fambaa_ were enormous reptiles that the Naboo saw so infrequently that the animals were almost legend. Orrin seemed amused.  
  
"Yiss. Tekks two to work wit' dem. Deysa not berry bright. An' once in a berry great while, wesa hev someone who tames a _zalaaca_ an' trains it as a riding beast, but dat's right rare." She suddenly looked sly. "Rumor hass it dat the Kippton, hesa done dat long-o time ago, an' dat's why hisan fam'ly's symbol iss a _zalaaca_. Deysa difficult to train, though – mesa rather hev a _kaadu_." _Zalaacas_ were the size of mountain lions, with blue-purple hides, a parrot-like face, and sharp spurs on their hind legs. They stayed mostly in the forests and swamplands, although the Naboo saw them occasionally on the plateaus.  
  
"You're so lucky," Melni exclaimed, looking up from her work. "My parents never let me ride or do anything like that, no matter how often I ask. I'm s'posed to grow up to be—" here her voice took on a sarcastic tone "—a 'lay-dee'. Just because Grandpa is the governor." She frowned. "Minister Brandes didn't even want to let me come and do this."  
  
"What'n diss 'lay-dee'?" asked Orrin, tugging on the saddle's girth strap.  
  
"It's a woman with good manners and extremely polite behavior," Saché explained.  
  
"Who has to spend all her time doing boring stuff like sitting around listening to adults talk and wearing really uncomfortable clothing," Melni added.  
  
Saché laughed. "Not always. It just seems that way now."  
  
Orrin tilted her head in a shrug. "Nuttin' wrong with having good be-hevior," she remarked. "Mekks people look up to yousa, an' want to hev yousa 'round. Noboddy liken little'uns who don' be-hev." She paused. "Or big'uns who don' be-hev, either."  
  
Melni jumped as one of the _falumpasets_ began to bellow, a long, low-pitched sound that continued for several seconds. The other _falumpasets_ joined in, calling back and forth, almost as though they were singing in a choir. Orrin nodded. "Iss all right. Theysa do that ev'ry evening," she explained. "C'mon, wesa go forra walk." She hung the bridle up on a nearby bush and started out into the middle of the herd. "Don' mekk any suddenly moves or noises," she warned them. "Wanna get them used to yoursan smell. Watch yoursan step." The four of them moved slowly and carefully through the animals. The _kaadu_ lifted their heads and trotted away a few steps before returning to their grazing. The _falumpasets_ bellowed and shook their heads, but only the largest male moved, actually lumbering toward them. Orrin stopped and faced him. He snorted and turned away. "_Falumpasets_, theysa hard to work wit'," she said. "Not berry smartie, pittie stubborn, too. Tekks a strong arm to steer them."  
  
As they left the herd, one of the _kaadu_ came plodding along after them. Like the others, it wore a halter around its face; hanging from the halter was a short rope that allowed a Gungan to lead the much-taller _kaadu_ more easily. The three humans stopped, and the animal passed them and trotted up to Orrin, who reached up and affectionately patted its neck. "That one's yours?" asked Melni.  
  
"Yiss. Mesa raised him from his h'egg, trained wit' him long-o time," Orrin replied. "P'trol riders, wesa gott'n special bond wit' the _kaadu_. Mebbe sometime wesa get Peskis to tell yousa that story, eh?" She glanced up at the sky, visible through the leaves. "Right now, wesa goin' back to camp. Don' know 'bout yousan, but mesa ready for ettin'!" She gave the _kaadu_ a good-natured push back toward the herd. "G'wan. Yousa go ett, too."  
  
Despite the early stop, the crowd gathered in the center of camp was smaller than the night before – several of the Gungans were already asleep, and others, including Peskis, were on watch. After her meal, Orrin took the humans and the Gungan family to set up shelters, and by then it was nearly dark. Without light to see by, and with no gathering for storytelling, the humans went to bed early. The rest of the camp settled down to rest as well.  
  
A series of screams and yowls woke Brandes in the middle of the night.  
  
"What's that?" cried Nalla, startled awake beside her.  
  
"I – I don't know!" Brandes replied. A moment later she was in the center of a huddle of terrified children. "Did you hear that?" "What is it?" "Is it coming after us?"  
  
"Everyone be quiet!" Brandes ordered. She could see nothing in the blackness of the shelter. The entrance was to her left. Outside she could hear shouts, branches snapping, and footsteps as the Gungans ran past. In the distance, the riding beasts were adding their bellows and cries to the confusion.  
  
The forest canopy blocked most of the star- and moonlight, but even the dimmest light was better than being completely in the dark. Brandes untangled herself from the children and crawled through the entrance. The leaf and tree shelter might keep the rain out and give an impression of safety, but any large and determined animal would be able to break in without difficulty.  
  
"Minister Brandes!" It was Yané's voice, several paces away. "Is that you?"  
  
"Yes. What's happened? What's that noise?"  
  
"We don't know. The Gungans are all running around, and no one's told us anything!"  
  
"All right. Get everyone else over here and into our shelter. I'll feel better knowing where everyone is."  
  
"Yes, Minister." With that, Yané turned away to get the others who had been sleeping in her shelter. Brandes turned to the children. "Everyone inside." The shelter would at least give them the illusion of security, and make it easier to keep track of everyone. "Zanté, I want you to come over here and sit by me." A dark form moved to her side and huddled against her. Brandes felt around for the girl's face. "If you're all right, I want you to nod." Zanté nodded, but Brandes could feel her shivering; she put a reassuring arm around the girl. "It's going to be all right. You stay right here next to me. Melni, were are you?"  
  
"Here, Minister Brandes."  
  
"Nalla?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Arlan?"  
  
"Y-Yes."  
  
"Good. Everyone move away from the entrance so the others can get in."  
  
Taller shapes suddenly appeared in the doorway. "We're here," Yané announced, and the rest of the humans crawled into the shelter. "Everyone's all right."  
  
"We think something may have attacked the Gungan's riding animals," Saché added. "The noise was all coming from that direction. Whatever it was, it sounded big."  
  
"Iss a _zalaaca_," came a Gungan voice at the shelter's entrance, and everyone inside jumped.  
  
"S-Sen Tal?" Brandes managed.  
  
"Yiss. Sorry for s'prisin' yousan." Sen Tal crouched in the entrance. "Wesa wanted to mekk sure yousan h'okay.  
  
Brandes sighed in relief. "We're all fine, at the moment."  
  
They could hear the sounds from the pasture area – shouting, more bellows and honking from the herd, and once a roar, immediately followed by an electric sizzle. The roar turned into a scream that rapidly faded, as if whatever was making it was fleeing. "Soundin' liken deysa chased it h'off," Sen Tal remarked, raising one _haillu_ with his hand in order to hear better.  
  
"And that's good, right?" asked Saché.  
  
"Yiss. Pr'olly din't get any of the animals. Also, iff'n wesa gott'n _zalaaca_ 'round, iss meanin' deysa no _nar-gletch_ inna area. Thass allus a good thing. Those two animals, deysa stay 'way from each other." Sen Tal's shadowy form seemed to be peering in the direction of the pasture. "Think deysa commin' back."  
  
Someone called out in the Gungan's language, and Sen Tal answered. A moment later Orrin joined him at the entrance. "Mesa happy to see all'n yousan," she said. "Found th'other shelter empty, and wass worried."  
  
"What was the noise, Orrin?" asked Saché.  
  
"Wass a big _zalaaca_," Orrin replied. "T'ought hesa gonna hepp himse'f to one'a oursan _kaadu_. Lucky for ussan, Peskis heard an' smelled himsa commin', and wesa chased himsa 'way. Wesa chust goin' to check 'round the camp p'rimiter, but the Captain thinks wesa safe now." With that, she rose and walked away to join the search.  
  
"'Spect yousan can all go back to sleep," Sen Tal said.  
  
"After that?" Brandes laughed shakily.  
  
"Yousa want mesa to stay forra while?"  
  
"If you wouldn't mind," Brandes said.  
  
"H'okay. Mesa sett right'n he-ah next to Ahr-lan." The Gungan crawled into the shelter.  
  
"How did you know it was me?" asked Arlan. "It's dark in here."  
  
Sen Tal chuckled. "Smell yousa."  
  
"I told you you should have taken a bath, Arlan," teased Yané.  
  
"Hey!"  
  
The Gungan laughed. "Wouldn't mekk no nevermind. All'n yous gott'n puh-son'l scents. Wesa gott'n no trouble tellin' yousan apart." He paused. "Lessee. Next to Ahr-lan, wesa gott'n Melni, den Zanté, den Rep Brand-ess, den Nalla. Next to hersa iss Irric, den Saché, Yané, an' Edvic."  
  
"Can all the Gungans do that?" asked Brandes.  
  
"Yiss. Hardest part is rememberin' ever'one's name. Lott'n dem soundin' alike to mesa." Several people chuckled.  
  
"Female names tend to end in a vowel, and male names in a consonant," Brandes explained.  
  
"'Kahn-soe-nents. Don' know dem," Sen Tal replied.  
  
"And I'm not sure how to explain them without confusing you more," Brandes said.  
  
"Den wesa won' bother."  
  
"There's something I've been meaning to ask you," Brandes continued. "When we first met you, Kimma said you were her 'ess-, ess-oh-an'? Is that the right word?"  
  
"_Essoan_. Yiss."  
  
"What does that mean?"  
  
Sen Tal was silent for a moment. Finally he said, "Mesa not sure my can 'splain that. Wesa pledged? Pledged? Diss'n right word?"  
  
"I know what pledged means, Sen Tal," Brandes assured him.  
  
"Wesa pledged to each other for life."  
  
"Like a husband and wife?" suggested Yané.  
  
"Don' know dem, either," Sen Tal admitted.  
  
"A husband and wife exchange vows to stay together for life, raise a family, and help each other. It's a long-term relationship meant to provide companionship for each other, and a stable home life for any children."  
  
The Gungan thought for a moment. "Yiss, dat sounden right."  
  
"Kimma said you were her first _essoan_," Melni said. "And Hanar was her second. Is he her husband too?"  
  
"Yiss. All'n ussan agreed to diss'n."  
  
"So Gungans can have more than one husband?"  
  
"Wesa have as many _essoans_ or _essoins_ as wesa want, so long as ever'one inna fam'ly agrees," Sen Tal explained. "Some of ussan gott'n seven, eight _essoans_ or _essoins_. All'n yours _essoans_ and _essoins_ have to agree to lett'n the newest one become member of the fam'ly, an' yoursa clan has to approve it, too."  
  
"Sounds confusing," Yané remarked.  
  
"Not rilly. Most'n ussan can kipp track of who wesa pledged to."  
  
"Then you could have more than one wife, just like Kimma has more than one husband?" asked Saché.  
  
"Yiss. Shesa an' Hanar would hev to agree."  
  
"Yuck!" exclaimed Arlan. "Why would you want to have more than one wife? I don't want to have any!"  
  
The girls sputtered, the teens laughed, and Brandes smiled, even though she knew no one could see her. Sen Tal laughed. "Eh, mebbe yousa changin' yoursa mind someday." Even in the dark, he had no trouble finding Arlan's shoulder to give it a pat. "Yousa _Naaboo_ don' do diss'n?"  
  
"No," Brandes replied. "We confine ourselves to one spouse, or at least one spouse at a time."  
  
"Huh," Sen Tal grunted, but any further comment was interrupted by Orrin's arrival. "Iss all cle-ah," she said, crouching at the entrance. "Deysa nothin' threatenin' out dere now. Yousan can all go bekk to sleep."  
  
"Mesa gonna go back to my fam'ly, iff'n yousan all right," Sen Tal said.  
  
"Of course. Thank you, Sen Tal," Brandes said.  
  
"Yousan welcome. Goo' night." The Gungan crawled out of the shelter and disappeared into the darkness.  
  
Orrin remained outside. "Yousan goin' bekk to th' other shelter?" she asked.  
  
The teens and Irric consulted briefly. "Yes," Saché replied. "For one thing, there's not enough room in here for us all to sleep."  
  
"Besides, Irric snores," Nalla added.  
  
"Do not!" Irric retorted.  
  
"Stop it, you two," Brandes warned. "If we start making a lot of noise, the Gungans might chase us away, too, just like the _zalaaca_."  
  
Orrin laughed. "Mebbe wesa send dem out inna woods an' let dem scare the _zalaacas_ 'way." She sobered. "But right'n now, wesa needsa bein' quiet. Don' want the _maccaneeks_ findin' ussan." Both Irric and Nalla clapped hands over their mouths. The teens and Irric crawled out of the shelter. There was a muted chorus of "Good night", and Orrin led them away to the other shelter. The remaining children curled up close to their adult guardian, and one by one finally fell asleep. The camp settled back down for the night.  


~*~*~*~  
  
  
Later that morning, in the early hours of dawn, four Gungans and their mounts set out for Splitrock and its outpost.


	7. Chapter 7

Mindful of the midnight scare, Tarpals let everyone sleep later than usual the next morning, but eventually sent Orrin and one of the _militiagungs_ around to rouse everyone so they could forage for breakfast. At last all but those on sentry duty gathered in the middle of the camp.  
  
"Last night, as yousan all know, wesa had a _zalaaca_ tryin' to attack oursan animals," Tarpals announced. "Thanks to _Naamana_ Peskis, the guards stopped it in time and drove itt'n away. All'n oursan animals are safe.  
  
"This morning, four of ussan left for Splitrock," Tarpals continued. "Theysa goin' to scout the area, pick up supplies, and report back. My'm expecting them bekk tomorrow 'round midday. Inna meantime, wesa gotten work to do he-ah.  
  
"The area 'round Tendesay is open, and wesa kenn see everything around ussan. Course'n, that means everything 'round ussan kenn see ussan, too. Wesa needs to be ready for an attack, either to fight bekk or run. Wesa gonna be practicing diff'rent skills – working with the animals, finding places to hide, hitting targets, that sort'n thing."  
  
Tarpals divided the group; the _militiagungs_ would train with him, and the _Naaboo_ would work with Orrin and Peskis. He set his troops, which included Sen Tal, to target practice; with the scarcity of ammunition, they used stones instead of the _buumas. It might just come down to that_, he mused grimly. _We don't have much ammunition left._  
  
He gave Orrin and Peskis the task of training the _Naaboo_ to respond to an attack. With the children aboard, Hela Brandes's job would be to get them out of the fighting as quickly as possible. If an attack came while they weren't astride a _falumpaset_.... Tarpals shook his head. The best thing the _Naaboo_ could do would be to hide and hope the _maccaneeks_ overlooked them.  
  
_None of them are really ready for this_, he thought, watching his people fling stones and _cesta_ poles at their targets. _We need a way to rig moving targets as well, since I doubt that the_ maccaneeks_ will obligingly stand still for us to shoot at them...._  
  
Orrin was having her own doubts about the group's ability to survive an attack. The two _tsanin_, Yané and Saché, were good riders, but had a difficult time turning the _falumpaset's_ head. It took a strong arm to put enough pressure on the creature's mouth to really get its attention. Brandes fared better, but not by much. Still, by the end of the morning's session, all three of them had managed to move the _falumpaset_ through a short obstacle course Orrin had devised, although the animal tended to trample the obstacles, rather than go around them. The exercise could have gone better, she decided, but it could also have been worse.  
  
The best practice group had been the children, she and the older _Naaboo_ had discovered when they went to find them. The group included Peskis, Hanar, and all of the human and Gungan children, as well as Edvic. Orrin and her companions found Peskis easily enough, but there was no sign of either Hanar or the children.  
  
"What's that humming sound?" Saché asked as they approached Peskis.  
  
"Iss oursan _maccaneek_," the Gungan replied, grinning.  
  
Puzzled, Orrin and the three other females glanced around; they finally located Hanar, who was literally up a tree.  
  
"Wesa practicin' hidin'," Peskis explained. "An' Hanar iss the _maccaneek_, lookin' for ussan." Hanar grinned and waved, still making a "nnnnnnnnn" sound that imitated the droid's vehicles rather well. "The _sprattlings_, deysa all out'n sight, as yousa kenn see."  
  
"Or not see," Brandes remarked.  
  
Peskis chuckled. "Oursan _maccaneek_ counts to fiff'teen, an' by den, ever'one's supposed to be hid," he continued. "Deysan all right good at diss'n by now. Wesa gonna stop practicin' after wesan ett – the kippton, hesa wants ussan to gather as much food as wesan can. Wesa gonna be out inna open on da way to Tendesay, and wesa might not hev time to find much."  
  
"I thought your people had sent a group to get supplies," Brandes said. Peskis waved to Hanar, who whistled to signal that the practice was over; children began emerging from beneath bushes, under logs, and behind rocks.  
  
"Yiss. The kippton, hesa liken bein' prepared for as much as wesan can," Peskis answered. Hanar slid down the branch and dangled for a moment; Temmis grabbed him by the cuffs of his trousers and pulled, causing Hanar to swing back and forth.  
  
Finally the adult let go and dropped, laughing, to the ground. "All right, all'n yous. Ever'body look 'round for some-att to ett, and den wesa gonna start collectin' food to tekk with ussan." He turned back to the adults. "The scouts, deysa gonna try to bring t'ings bekk from the waypost, but deysa also goin' to see iff'n deysa enny _maccaneeks_ 'round. Dat way wesa know iff'n it's safe to ride 'cross field to Tendesay, or iff'n wesa needin' 'nother plan."  
  
"It sounds dangerous," Brandes remarked.  
  
"Berry. Wesan all be gledd when deysa come bekk."  
  
Tarpals released his own practice group to forage; once they had eaten, they would have some time to rest, then would go relieve the sentries, who would come in for a meal and a practice session of their own. In the meantime, the captain went in search of his own meal. He pulled nuts and berries from bushes, and took some extra time to fish in the river. With a full stomach, he began to feel at least marginally more optimistic about their chances for reaching Tendesay and eventually the Sacred Place in good condition.  
  
At that point, one of the _militiagungs_ interrupted him with the message that one of the Gungan children, Temmis, had turned up missing.  
  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
  
Peskis had set his foragers out, with instructions to look for Temmis as well as food. Something tugged at his tunic; smiling, he turned to see Zanté standing behind him. The human girl let go of his leather garment and pointed into the woods. "Found somet'ing, heh?" asked Peskis, and the girl nodded. "Less go'n see, den."  
  
The girl led the way into the woods, pushing through green stems and leaves that made seeing any distance nearly impossible. She stopped at a tree, stood up on one of the roots to look around, and then continued on to a second tree. There she halted and turned to the Ankuran, putting a finger to her lips. Peskis repeated the gesture, nodding to show he understood, and the girl leaned around the tree to point to a small form sitting huddled amidst the leaves.  
  
Peskis stepped forward and peered at it; the small form turned out to be Temmis, sitting with his knees drawn up to his chest, arms around his legs, rocking from side to side. The young Gungan was whimpering softly. Peskis glanced at Zanté and nodded, then held his hand up, palm toward the girl, as if to push her away. "Stay heah," he told her. "Dass hand-sign for 'stay'. Unnerstand?"  
  
Zanté nodded, and Peskis waded through the broad-leaved plants to where Temmis sat. "I'm glad to see you, Temmis. You've got a number of people out looking for you," the older Gungan said gently in High Gungan. Temmis curled up a little more and buried his face in his arms. "It must be something very powerful, to make you come out here where it's so dangerous," Peskis continued.  
  
Still rocking, Temmis murmured, "I don't want anyone to think I'm still a baby."  
  
Peskis knelt, resting one arm on his knee. "And why would anyone think that?"  
  
"I -- I want -- I wish my _maatra_ would come back." Temmis whimpered again. "I know the Captain sent her on a mission, a-and she's doing something important, but what if -- what if -- she doesn't come back?"  
  
Peskis put a comforting hand on the youngster's shoulder. Then he turned and beckoned to Zanté. The human girl waded through the undergrowth to their position. Peskis continued, this time in Bassic "Sometimes, wesa all gott'n do t'ings that tekk ussan 'way from ones wesa love, an' sometimes wesa don' have any control over dose t'ings. No mattah what, the people who love ussan always love us, even when deysa gone. An' yousa still gott others to tekk care of yousa. Wesa gott one 'nother, yoursan fam'ly, friends. No mattah what, deysa always someone to tekk care of yousa. Sometimes iss luck brings dese people to ussan, like now." He put one arm around Temmis, and the other around Zanté. Tears were running down her face. "Yoursa parents gone too, aren't dey?" Peskis asked softly.  
  
Zanté stood shivering; her hands clutched the string that held the blue peko-peko feather in her hair. Temmis uncurled slightly and shifted so he could look up at her. The human seemed to be staring at something in the distance. Peskis drew her against him, and she suddenly turned to bury her face in the shoulder of his uniform. The Gungan gently eased her into a sitting position and held her with one arm; the other hand was still on Temmis's shoulder. The younger Gungan twisted to face the human girl.  
  
Zanté was still weeping silently, clutching the front of Peskis's tunic with one hand. Temmis whimpered again, and uncurled completely to pull himself onto his knees. One arm slid around Peskis's ribs, and the other around Zanté. The human hesitated for a moment, then let go of the string and reached to hug Temmis.  
  
"None of ussan have to be 'lone," Peskis murmured, his arms drawing both of them into a comforting embrace. "Wesan all gott each other to tekk care of now."  
  
And for a few minutes the three of them knelt together, the two children clinging to one another, and the adult Gungan holding them in the protective circle of his arms.  
  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
  
"Sen Tal," said Hanar, a relieved tone in his voice, "we've got company." Thinking Temmis might have returned to their family's shelter, the two adults and Plirri had stopped to check before moving out into the forest to join the search for their missing youngster.  
  
"I think you might recognize this one," Peskis said, nodding to Temmis, who was peering sheepishly around the Ankuran's leg. Sen Tal gave the youngster a stern glance. "Yes, that one's ours." Temmis hung his head.  
  
"We'll take the other one, too," Hanar added. Sen Tal shot him a startled look. Hanar jerked his head in a shrug. "The older _Naaboo_ female seems to have her hands full with the rest. It would be just as easy for us to take this one."  
  
Peskis smiled. "All right." He shifted Zanté against his shoulder and handed her to Hanar. "Deysa gonna tekk care of yousa for while," he told her in _Bassic_.  
  
"Thank you," Sen Tal said to Peskis. "I'm sorry if he was a bother."  
  
"No bother." Peskis lowered his voice. "You might want to talk with him about his mother being gone."  
  
Sen Tal's stern look changed to one of sympathy. "Of course."  
  
"I'll let everyone know he's been found," Peskis said. He patted Temmis on the back and moved away.  
  
Hanar, with Zanté still in his arms, sat down with the two Gungan children. "Plirri, we're going to have Zanté staying with us for a while."  
  
Plirri sniffed at Zanté and made a face. "She smells funny."  
  
"Plirri!" snapped Temmis.  
  
"She can't help it, Plirri," Hanar said. "She's a mammal, like the _falumpasets_. She's always going to have more of a scent than we do." He stroked the girl's hair thoughtfully. "Although I think a bath might help."  
  
Plirri perked up. "Go swimming?"  
  
"Yes, I think going swimming would be a good idea. The river's not far, and there should be a least a couple of pools where the current's not too strong. Sen Tal?"  
  
"Yes, good idea."  
  
Plirri squealed happily, hopping up and down. "Quietly," Sen Tal added firmly.  
  
"The _Naaboo_ do swim, don't they?" Hanar asked.  
  
"I think so. We can ask Rep Brand-ess on the way. In fact, we should tell her where we're going, and get this poor _sprattling_ a new set of clothes."  
  
"I'll ask," Temmis volunteered.  
  
"Not this time," Sen Tal replied. "You and I are going to have a talk first."  
  
The youngster's _haillu_ drooped. "Yes, sir."  
  
Hanar stood up. "Well, this should be a challenge. I don't speak any _Bassic_, Plirri only knows a few words, and the _sprattling_ here doesn't seem able to speak at all." He set Zanté down and took her by the hand. "Come along, you two. Let's see how long it takes us to explain to the _Naaboo_ that we're going for a swim and that Zanté needs some new clothes."  
  
Sen Tal watched them approach Hela Brandes, then turned his attention to Temmis. "What were you thinking, going off alone like that? The _maccaneeks_ aren't the only dangerous thing out there. We are in _veermok_ country, not to mention stray _nar-gletch_ or _zalaacas_." The ape-like _veermok_ and the grey-skinned, lion-like _nar-gletch_ were two of the swampland's fiercest predators.  
  
"I know," Temmis said, scuffing the ground with one foot.  
  
"Why did you do that, Temmis?"  
  
"Because -- because I was worried about _Maatra_," Temmis murmured. Sen Tal's expression softened.  
  
"We're all worried about her, Temmis. Everyone's worried about all of their families. Bad things are happening, and it's normal to be worried." He crouched down to lift Temmis's chin. "But running off by yourself isn't the way to deal with it. When you disappear, we worry about you, too. Next time, come and talk to one of us, all right?  
  
"Yes, _Paatra_."  
  
"Hanar and I need to know where you are at all times, Temmis. Promise that you'll tell us before you go off by yourself again."  
  
"I promise."  
  
Sen Tal patted him on the shoulder. "You're a good boy, Temmis. All three of us are proud of you and we love you. Remember that." He stooped to sweep Temmis up in his arms, and the youngster hugged his neck.  
"Good. Now, let's go catch up with everyone else. By now Hanar will have either have figured out a way to talk without words, or he'll have convinced the _Naaboo_ that we're all crazy."  
  
By the time the two Gungans reached the human gathering, however, unexpected help had arrived in the form of Tarpals, and Hela Brandes was unpacking several sets of clothing, in search of something that would fit Zanté. Tarpals turned away from the activity and approached Sen Tal. "Found him, did you?" he asked, eyeing Temmis, who hung his head again.  
  
"Yes, thank you." Sen Tal gave Temmis's shoulder a supportive squeeze.  
  
"Good. It's bad enough having four people where we can't help them, let alone a fifth."  
  
"Captain?" asked Temmis. "Is my _maatra_ going to be all right?"  
  
Tarpals studied him for a moment. Then he crouched to look the youngster in the eye. "Your _maatra_ volunteered to go because she thought what she was doing would make this journey easier for all of us. She seems to be an intelligent, capable female. She has trained with some of the best our people have to offer, and she takes her duty very seriously. If anyone will be all right, it will be your _maatra_. I doubt the entire _maccaneek_ army could stand between her and her family."  
  
Tarpals rose, nodded to Sen Tal, and walked away.  
  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
  
  
The river meandered around stones, tiny islands, and the roots of trees. The water flowed quickly and clear, but there were a couple of pools deep enough to swim in where the current slowed. Sen Tal and his family located one of them, cradled by deep, grassy riverbanks.  
  
Plirri, with the unselfconsciousness of the very young, peeled off his clothing, dropped it in a heap, and scurried for the pool.  
  
Hanar grabbed him before he could jump in. "We need to make sure there's nothing dangerous in there," he warned the youngster. "Sit." A few minutes later Hanar had stripped off his own clothes and slipped into the water, swimming from one end of the pool to the other. He surfaced and waded out. "It seems to be safe." A moment later he was foraging along the riverbank.  
  
With a whoop, Plirri dove in. Temmis waited until Sen Tal had removed Zanté's clothes and lifted her before wading into the pool as well. Zanté clung to Sen Tal's neck as the Gungan sank into the water, seating himself on the bottom; the water came to about the level of his chest. "Dere, see? Wesa gonna stop heah."  
  
He shifted Zanté so that the girl was kneeling in the water beside him. Then he accepted the root that Hanar had dug out of the earth. Chewing the side of the root, he peeled off the skin and raked his wet fingernails over the soft inner material. Exposed to both water and air, the inside of the root began to froth. "Diss what wesa usin' for a bath," he told Zanté‚ demonstrating on his own arm.  
  
The human cautiously took the root and began rubbing it over her own arms, chest, back and legs. Satisfied, Sen Tal turned his attention to Plirri and Temmis, each of whom were busily scrubbing (or, in Plirri's case, being scrubbed) with roots of their own.  
  
"Make sure he gets inside his ears," Sen Tal called to Hanar. Hanar made a show of looking in Plirri's ears, nipping the youngster on the underside of his _haillu_‚ causing Plirri to squeal with laughter.  
  
Sen Tal turned back to Zanté, who was watching the play solemnly. She held the root out to Sen Tal. The only thing that hadn't been scrubbed was her hair. Sen Tal mimed holding his breath, then putting his head under water. Obediently, Zanté squeezed her eyes shut and submerged, soaking her hair and coming back to the surface gasping.  
  
"Kipp yoursa eyes clos't," Sen Tal said, and proceeded to lather her hair. Then he pushed gently on the top of her head and Zanté ducked her head back into the water.  
  
The young Gungans swam back and forth in the pool, but the human girl remained in the shallows, watching. At one point Hanar and Sen Tal traded places; Sen Tal swam back and forth across the pool, racing the children, and Hanar sat in the shallows with Zanté.  
  
Eventually the Gungans climbed out of the pool and settled themselves on the grass to rest. Brandes had sent a large cloth with them, with instructions to use it to "dry" Zanté. Hanar had blinked, puzzled. "Don't the _Naaboo_ dry off naturally?"  
  
Sen Tal had tilted his head in a shrug, but had also accepted the cloth. "Hopefully the _sprattling_ will know what to do with it."  
  
Sure enough, Zanté set about drying herself off, then wrapped the cloth around her. The two adults stared at her.  
  
"Must be she's feeling a draft?" Hanar suggested. He picked through the pile of clothing Brandes had provided and held the items out. Zanté began pulling on undergarments, then outer garments, still keeping the large cloth wrapped around her. The Gungans stared at her.  
  
"Gods above and below," Sen Tal remarked. "She really needs all that clothing?"  
  
"Apparently so," Hanar replied, distractedly. He was fingering the clothing the human wasn't using. "What is this made of, anyway? I've never seen anything like it."  
  
"We can ask when we get back to the _Naaboo_," Sen Tal suggested. He nodded to the old clothing the girl had discarded. "What should we do with that?"  
  
"I think the kindest thing we could do with it is bury it," Hanar replied. "It's seen a lot of wear, and the smell is rather noticeable. Besides, the _Naaboo_ seem to have enough clothing for now."  
  
Once she had finished dressing, she was persuaded to lay the cloth aside. The sleeves and pant legs of her outfit were obviously too long, and Hanar carefully rolled them up. "Need to tack those in place. I'll have to see about getting an awl and maybe some sinew so I can sew them."  
  
"I doubt you're going to conveniently run across either of those out here."  
  
"Probably not." Hanar paused thoughtfully. Temmis and Plirri began pulling on their own clothing. "Kimma's going to want to keep her, you know."  
  
"I know. But I'm not sure it's such a good idea. For one thing, I don't think the _Naaboo_ will agree to it, and for another, none of us know anything about raising one of them. They're not entirely like _falumpasets_‚ you know. We don't know what they eat, or how to take care of them when they're sick, or what kind of a life cycle they have."  
  
Hanar laughed and rolled over onto his stomach. "That's what I love about you, Sen Tal – you're such an optimist."  
  
"Someone in this family needs to be practical," Sen Tal responded.  
  
"Please. Kimma's practical enough for you, me, and three other people." He lifted his head from his crossed arms and peered downstream at Plirri and Temmis, who were playing "find-me". "You two stay close by. No further away than that large rock."  
  
A ragged chorus of "Yes, _Paatra_" echoed back upstream. Zanté stood up and took several steps on their direction, craning her neck to seek them when they disappeared from sight. "Iss all right," Sen Tal said. "Yousa go play, too." He cast about for his trousers and vest.  
  
The girl began to poke through the brush and broad-leaf plants, looking for Temmis, who was the hider. As she parted the branches of a low-growing bush, Temmis scurried out from behind them and ran for another patch of brush. Plirri scampered after him, hand outstretched to touch him. Temmis outran his younger brother and disappeared into the brush, Plirri close behind. Zanté trotted after them, but stopped at the edge of the undergrowth. The two adult Gungans could hear Temmis's progress and Plirri calling after him.  
  
"Yousa s'posed to tap himsa," Sen Tal told the girl. "Den his turn iss over an' yousa gettin' to hide."  
  
Zanté turned and climbed to the top of the large rock that Hanar had designated as the boundary for the game. As Temmis ran past, she hopped down and ran after him, her hand catching the hem of his tunic. The Gungan yelped in surprise.  
  
"Berry good!" Sen Tal exclaimed, rising. "Now deysa goin' to close dersan eyes and yousa go hide." Both Gungan children covered their eyes, Sen Tal watching to make certain no one was peeking. Zanté hesitated.  
  
"G'wan," Sen Tal urged. "Mesa gonna stay right heah an' mekk sure yousa don' get lost." Finally the human disappeared into the bushes. Sen Tal counted to eight, and then said, "All right, yousan go find hersa." Temmis and Plirri immediately looked around the open area near the river, then began following the edge of the undergrowth, peering under the wide leaves for a sign of the girl. Sen Tal remained standing in the open.  
  
A trio of riders paused at the top of the rise above the river, greeted Sen Tal and Hanar, and trotted down the hill to the water. By now, Hanar had also dressed.  
  
"Never thought I'd see the day," one of the riders grumbled. "Wasting our time training the _Naaboo_! To do what? Run away while we fight?"  
  
"We could be almost to the Sacred Place by now if we weren't fooling around here," a second added.  
  
At that moment, Plirri flushed the hider; Zanté ran past Sen Tal, laughing soundlessly, and pelted up the riverbank toward Hanar and the riders. Temmis and Plirri ran along after her, Temmis outdistancing his younger brother. Hanar grinned and stood up, catching the girl by the arms and swinging her out of Temmis's reach.  
  
"Hey!" Temmis protested, overshooting his target. One of the riders stepped back out of his way, frowning at the human girl. Temmis jogged in a circle and came back for a second try at tagging Zanté, who was now running toward Sen Tal. Coming from the other direction, Plirri threw himself at her and managed to catch her around the waist. They both went down in a heap in the grass, Temmis hurdling them and falling into his _paatra_'s arms.  
  
"You want to be careful about letting them touch her," one of the riders sneered. "Your children might catch something."  
  
Sen Tal and Hanar exchanged glances. "Now that you mention it, there does seem to be something unwholesome in the air," Hanar remarked wryly. He stooped to pick up Zanté's drying cloth. "Perhaps we should go back to camp."  
  
"Let's go ask Rep Brand-ess your question about the clothing," Sen Tal suggested, picking up Plirri and taking Zanté by the hand. Temmis took the girl's other hand. "I think we're finished here." The two children skirted around the riders, the frightened look returning to Zanté's face.  
  
"And just when we'd gotten her to relax," Hanar grumbled as they topped the hill and left the river behind.  
  
"Well, it was a start," Sen Tal responded. "When we get done talking to Rep Brand-ess, I think we should mention this to the Captain."


	8. Chapter 8

A light rain began that evening. The Gungans, as usual, gathered for storytelling, but the humans, exhausted from their day of training and preferring to stay dry, opted to spend the evening in their shelters. The younger children were playing a memory game, "Going to Market", in which they generated a list of items they would buy, in alphabetical order. Each player had to recite the list in correct order, and then add an item of his or her own. The game could be played using any subject, but since all the children had had some experience with buying (or at least wanting to buy) things, they'd settled on this one.  
  
Somewhere around the letter "M", there were sounds of something moving outside the shelter, and Brandes halted the game. "Who's there?" she called out into the darkness.  
  
"Iss Kippton Tarpals," came the older Gungan's gravelly voice. "My'm sorry for disturbin' yousan."  
  
Brandes peered out into the rainy night. "You're not disturbing us, Captain. Would you like to come in?"  
  
"No, thanka yous. My'm chust setting up a place to sleep."  
  
"You're going to sleep out in the rain?" asked Arlan.  
  
The captain snorted in amusement. "Mesa _Guungan_ – bein' wet iss no trouble a'tall. Water iss'n gift from O'mas, the Creator. Allus welcome."  
  
"Another Gungan legend?" asked Brandes.  
  
Tarpals tilted his head in a shrug, even though he doubted the _Naaboo_ could see him, and continued unrolling the leather ground cloth. "Yiss. Berry old story."  
  
There was an expectant silence inside the shelter. Finally Arlan remarked, "Aren't you going to tell it?"  
  
Tarpals paused. "Mesa no storyteller," he replied, and shook out the ground cloth, which would protect him from the burrowing insects that were occasional Gungan parasites.  
  
"Not even a little?"  
  
Tarpals snorted softly. "Well, mebbe a little." When he spoke next, his voice came from just outside the entrance. "Pro'lly more comf'table iff'n wesa all inside." The children and Brandes backed away to give him room to enter; Tarpals, being taller than any of them, folded himself up and sat cross-legged.  
  
"Story sess that when O'mas created the world, shesa wanted ever'thing even, so shesa medd 'zactly the same 'mount of land and water. But A'Pensik, god of Luck and Chance, hesa loved the water an' wanted it to cover the world. Hesa argued with O'mas an' tried to mekk her cover the land with water. O'mas, shesa loved the land as much as the water, so shesa refused.  
  
"U'daray, the god of Hunting, shesa wanted more land for mekking more h'animals to hunt. Shesa and A'Pensik fought and argued. During one fight, A'Pensik tricked hersa into tipping over O'mas's drinking gourd, and all'n the water spilled onto the world, covering the land and mekking the planet all water.  
  
"U'daray and A'Pensik, theysa both 'shamed at what theysa done. But O'mas, shesa looked at the world and sedd, 'Mesa think mebbe thiss'n a good thing. Less see.' Shesa dug down into the world, squeezin' it, mekkin' the core hollow so's lott'n the water stayed there. The extra earth, shesa piled on the plains an' mountains, so theysa 'bove the water most'n the time. Then shesa took some'n the water and medd the clouds to bring rain, so even the plains and mountains would remember water. An' shesa took some'n the water and gev it to all'n the plants and animals. Wesa all needin' water to survive. All of ussan hev water inside."  
  
"That's true," Nalla said. "We learned in school that water makes up most of our bodies."  
  
"Wasn't O'mas angry with U'daray and A'Pensik?" asked Arlan.  
  
"Mesa 'spect so, but shesa berry wise god – shesa can mekk good things come even from mistakes." He unfolded his legs. "So. Iff'n yousan excuse mesa, this has been a berry long-o day, and mesa needin' to rest."  
  
"Of course. Thank you." Brandes heard him crawling out of the entrance.  
  
"Can I sleep outside, too, Minister Brandes?" Arlan asked.  
  
"Absolutely not. Humans aren't meant to sleep outdoors in the rain."  
  
"B'sides," Tarpals's voice drifted back inside over the patter of the raindrops, "iff'n yousa don't sleep in he-ah, the riders who built thiss'n shelter will think yousa no liken their work. Berry insulting." Addressing his next words to Brandes, he added, "My will be sleeping right outside. Good night."  
  
Brandes considered his words as the game picked up again. This was the first time she'd even seen him after dark; the captain had usually been busy keeping an eye on the activities in and around their camp. There had to be a reason for his behavior, and she doubted he was sleeping near them because he felt lonely.  
  
  
  
_The remainder of Otoh Gunga's defenders had boarded_ bon-ghos _and other submarines and launched into the dark waters of the lake. Most of the city's lights were out; many of the bubble dwellings had lost their hydrostatic skins, and debris floated in the water. In the lead ship, Tarpals leaned over the console and spoke into a vibration device that relayed sound through the water over short distances. "Final attack force, follow me. All other ships, get to the surface. All personnel will meet at the designated places. If you cannot make the meeting place, go by whatever route you can to the Sacred Place."  
  
Nearly a dozen ships veered off to follow Tarpals; the rest sped away toward the lakeshore. "We'll take the lead ship," Tarpals continued. "All others, choose your targets. Ramming speed. Eject the forward compartment at the last possible moment. Once you're clear, proceed to the lakeshore and the meeting places."  
  
His navigator aimed the bow of the _bon-gho_ at the lead surface ship and accelerated. It would be a delicate maneuver; eject too soon, and the _bon-gho_ would miss its target; too late and those aboard would be killed by the impact. The navigator was crouched over the steering mechanism, frowning in concentration, eyes fixed on her target.  
  
"Steady," Tarpals murmured. "We want to hit them before they know we're coming."  
  
"Yes, Captain. Of course, Captain. With all due respect, Captain, I _have_ done this before. I know what I'm doing," she interrupted. "You might want to strap in. Sir."  
  
"And how many times have you done this, exactly?" Tarpals slid into his seat, eyes on the approaching underside of the target ship.  
  
Unphased, she replied, "Twice, Captain. Once in practice maneuvers, and once during my initial steering lessons."  
  
He wrestled his restraining harness in place. "That does not exactly inspire unwavering confidence, Lieutenant Orrin."  
  
"Maybe by the end of this cruise, you'll change your mind, sir."  
  
"Assuming we both survive," Tarpals responded dryly.  
  
"Count on it, Captain."  
  
The underside of the ship loomed before them. Something exploded behind them – one of the other _bon-ghos_ had struck its target. There was a second explosion off to one side. The ship's hull filled most of their forward viewdome, and Orrin reached for a lever on the left side of the front control panel. "Almost," she murmured, "almost...."  
  
The front cockpit separated from the body of the _bon-gho_ with a dull thud, and Orrin immediately shoved the lever forward and sideways, plunging the nose of the escape pod toward the lake bottom. Above them, the rest of the _bon-gho _slammed into the underside of the enemy vessel. The impact shattered the bottom of the ship. The _bon-gho_ engines exploded. Orrin shoved the steering mechanism to one side; the pod heeled over, bobbed clear of the sinking wreckage of the lead ship, and drifted upward. The pod broke the lake's surface, and Orrin slapped the hydrostatic controls, "popping" the bubble that kept water out of the submarine. Both Gungans dove into the lake, swimming deep to avoid detection by any of the other ships, and struck out for shore. Risking a glance over his shoulder, Tarpals could see several of the invaders' ships sinking, and more of his Patrol in the water...._  
  
  
Tarpals jerked awake. The sounds around him were forest sounds -- wind through the leaves, water dripping, and the murmur of the stream in the distance. The noise of protesting engines and explosions faded with his dream.  
  
"Captain? Are you all right?" Hela Brandes was on her hands and knees at the entrance to the shelter. The light was dim, even for Gungan eyes.  
  
"Yiss. Mesa fine, thanka yous." Tarpals sat up and rested his arms on his knees. The rain had stopped, but everything was still wet. Brandes settled herself into a sitting position in the entrance.  
  
"Captain, may I ask why you're sleeping here? With us, I mean."  
  
Tarpals sighed. "Some of oursan folks, theysa not berry happy 'bout training with yousan. Mesa decided to sleep he-ah, chust in case. Sent Orrin to kipp an eye on the rest'n yous in the other shelter."  
  
"Do you really think some of your people would hurt us?" Brandes asked.  
  
Tarpals thought for a moment. "Don't think anyone would hu'ht yousan on purpose, but theysa might see iff'n theysa could scare yousan. Lotta frustration right now, lookin' for a place to go."  
  
"Thank you for your concern, Captain.  
  
"Rep Brand-ess, mesa promised to tekk yousan to Tendesay. Mesa meanin' to kipp that promise."  
  
They sat in silence for a while, listening to the sounds of insects and running water. Under the canopy of trees, the air was still. Far off in the distance, Brandes could hear some creature call out, then call again, the cry trailing off unanswered. A faint creak of leather told her that the Gungan had moved; he was now sitting cross-legged, hands resting on his knees. Too awake now to try going back to sleep, she cast about for a topic of conversation.  
  
"Captain, I know that your people are native to this world. You don't call it 'Naboo', do you?"  
  
Tarpals snorted softly in the darkness, although Brandes didn't think he sounded amused this time. "No. '_Naaboo_' iss what wesa call yoursa people. When theysa fust kemm heah, called themselves some-att that sounded liken 'Naaboo', anyways. Wesa call thiss'n world by its own nemm." The Gungan trilled softly in the darkness, the notes punctuated by clicks and spoken sounds. Brandes realized this was the name of the planet in the Gungan's own language. After nearly a minute, the sounds ended.  
  
Brandes smiled. "Your name for this planet is a song? What a lovely idea. I'm a musician, myself. I would never have thought of singing a name."  
  
"Wuss given to ussan by the gods," Tarpals told her. "Thiss'n wo'ld gott'n a secret nemm, too, only known to oursan Shrine Kippers. Theysa use it in theirsan prayers."  
  
"Secret name?"  
  
"Yiss. Ever'thing hass a secret nemm – all'n the buhds, plants, animals, even the gods."  
  
Brandes thought for a moment. "I don't understand. Why would anything need a secret name?"  
  
She sensed him moving in the darkness as he shifted position. "Allus some part of ever'thing is hidden. Allus some-att 'bout someone yousa don't know. Wesa nebber see all'n this wo'ld, or know ever'thing there iss to know 'bout ennything. Secret nemms stand for thiss'n hidden knowledge."  
  
"Everything has one? Even you?"  
  
Tarpals's tone was dry. "'Course'n. Only two of ussan know it – mesa, and the Shrine Kipper where I wass born. Iss not some-att wesan tell ennyone."  
  
"Oh. I'm sorry if I intruded on something private."  
  
"My'm not offended, Rep Brand-ess."  
  
"Nevertheless, let's change the subject. Something else I was wondering about – what is the story of the Kintara Patrol that Lieutenant Peskis was asked to tell the other night?"  
  
"Iss'n old story. Wuss long, long 'go, before wesa lived unner the water. In those days, theysa monsters livin' onna land, t'reatening oursa people. The wust of the monsters was _Kynaalat-h'orrek_ -- mesa thinkin' that would be 'Thunder Monster' in _Bassic_. The Kintara Patrol wuss made up of oursan best warriors, from all'n the clans, an' they rode out to fight _Kynaalat-h'orrek_. The stories, theysa say the gods themselves came to do battle b'side ussan. They wuss led by H'raadok, god of war. They fought an' fought, through both the rainy an' dry sea-ssons. Finally the monster wuss destroyed, but hiss children wuss left behind, and theysa disappeared into the water. Wesa still fight them to this day. H'raadok an' the rest'a the gods disappeared."  
  
"And the Patrol?" Brandes asked.  
  
The Gungan sighed. "They wuss no survivors. Oursan people wuss saved, but oursan best warriors never kem back. Stories say thersan spirits, theysa went with the gods."  
  
The human woman let out a breath. "I can see why you didn't want him telling that particular story just now."  
  
"Wesa facin 'nother great monster," Tarpals commented. "This army of _maccaneeks_. Theysa commin' to swallow ussan. It mebbe that wesa all goin' the way of the Patrol."  
  
"I don't think we can count on the help of the gods this time."  
  
Tarpals shrugged. "Issen no matter. Issen the soldier's job to stand 'tween hissan people an' danger. Wesa fighten the _maccaneeks_ with or without hepp. Theysa no other choice for ussan."  
  
Brandes leaned back against one of the saplings that formed the shelter. "If I ever get my hands on the Neimoidians responsible for all this, I'll – I'll -- well, I don't know what I'll do, but they won't enjoy it."  
  
"Shoot thems?" Tarpals suggested.  
  
"I've never handled a gun before," Brandes confessed. "I'm not sure I'd be able to shoot anyone."  
  
The Gungan began rattling off the most violent _Bassic_ words he could remember. "Punch? Slap, kick, bite –  
  
"Slap!" Brandes interrupted him. "That sounds good. I could manage that. If I ever get my hands on them, I'll slap them silly!" Then she laughed wearily. "Although that doesn't seem likely right now, does it?"  
  
"Sound liken good plan," Tarpals told her. "Wesa mekk sure yousa gett yoursa chance. My will hold them for yousa."  
  
"It's a deal, Captain!" Brandes grinned in the darkness. "You hold them and I'll slap them. It will be the first joint human/Gungan project in Naboo's history."  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
  
At the same time that Tarpals's command was finishing their afternoon practices and the evening rain began to fall, four Gungans crouched at the edge of the treeline and scanned the open meadow that lay between them and Splitrock Lake. The lake was actually a small one; most of the shoreline was visible from their position. Having learned during the initial attacks on their cities that the _maccaneeks_ rode flying machines, the Gungans peered at the sky as well as the meadow. The only movement was the ripple of tall grass in the breeze.  
  
"All right," said Herns, rising to his feet. "Let's go."  
  
They mounted the pair of _kaadu_ and two _falumpasets_ chosen to make the trip, and urged the animals out into the meadow. Herns led the way, followed by Jenais, then Kimma, with Rell Iss bringing up the rear. The young Gungan kept twisting around to look over his shoulder, nervously watching for any signs of the _maccaneeks_ or their vehicles.  
  
Rell Iss had made the trip to Splitrock only once, several seasons ago when he was just beginning his training as the Captain's aide. Splitrock was outside the normal Patrol routes, too far from the swamps to be used for anything other than survival training. Career military personnel were expected to be familiar with the plants and animals in different habitats, but soldiers only trained near Splitrock every few years, at the discretion of the Grand Army's generals.  
  
The area was open and exposed; the _Naaboo_ had long ago claimed the grasslands and plateaus of the planet, and the Gungans felt more comfortable amid the wooded areas and the swamps.  
  
Splitrock itself was a rocky spire in the midst of the grassland, a prominent landmark in a place of gently rolling hills and fields. Trees and brush grew around the base of the small mountain; the lake waters lapped around three quarters of the mountain rock. Rell Iss knew that the waystation had been dug under the lake's bank. The entrance was somewhere along the lake's shore opposite the mountain, camouflaged with plants and stones, and accessible only by swimming. A tunnel would lead into the waystation, opening out into a small underground pool, with a dirt floor on one side. There the supplies would be stacked in special containers (ironically enough, traded from the _Naaboo_) to keep out any wildlife that might use the waystation as shelter.  
  
All four riders kept their mounts moving at a brisk pace. Evening was fast approaching; the Gungans planned to reach the outpost before full sunset, stay overnight to sort the supplies and ride back in the morning under the cover of the fog.  
  
Like their human counterparts, Gungans relied heavily on their senses of sight, but sound and smell were more important to them than to a human. Even with eyes closed, most Gungans could tell their family members apart by personal scent and the rhythm of their breathing. Now all four riders used sight, scent and sound to warn them of danger.  
  
The sun had sunk two fingers-width lower in the sky when Rell Iss noticed a low hum; for a while it sounded like the voices of insects. Then the humming intensified. Glances among all four Gungans showed that they had all heard it, and they cast about, searching for the source. At the front of the line, Herns reined in his mount, and the others did the same. Rell Iss hunched down in his saddle, peering around him.  
  
"There!" Jenais pointed toward Splitrock itself. Two shapes were rocketing toward them, skimming over the grass. Sunlight glinted off metal.  
  
"_Maccaneeks!_" Herns snarled. He hauled back on the reins, jerking the _falumpaset_'s head around. "Back to the woods! Ride hard!" A moment later all four animals were galloping for the shelter of the woodlands. The swift _kaadu_ pulled away from the two larger _falumpasets_; risking a glance over his shoulder, Rell Iss saw the _maccaneeks_ gaining on them. The droids were riding flying machines, skimming the terrain the Gungans were forced to ride over.  
  
The grass beside Rell Iss exploded, flaming despite the dampness. His _kaadu_ squealed and stumbled to one side. Kimma Nril's _kaadu_ thundered past. Kimma turned in the saddle, reined in her mount, and galloped back past Rell Iss toward the droids, weapon ready. Rell Iss's _kaadu_ regained its balance and leaped forward. A minute later, Kimma had caught up with him. "My ammunition's gone!" she said. "But there's two less of the _maccaneeks_ now!" They rode on together.  
  
More shots ignited the ground as the two riders fled. Behind them, Herns and Jenais could hear the humming turn into harsh whines as the _maccaneeks_ gained on them. Each rider twisted to glance over his shoulder at the pursuing machines.  
  
Jenais's mount pulled alongside Herns's. "We'll never make it!" the older patrol rider shouted.  
  
"Then we turn and fight!" Herns shouted back. Jenais shook his head.  
  
"That would mean both of us captured! No good!" Jenais's _atlatl_, a sling-like weapon used to throw the smallest of the _buumas_, was in his free hand. "We need to get clear, warn the others. The _maccaneeks_ found us by luck – they can't know about the outpost. You can make a second try later. But for now – here!" He stood up in the saddle, and hauled back on the reins. As the _falumpaset_ broke stride and almost fell, he threw his leg over the animal's back and dove from the saddle. He rolled to absorb the force of the leap. Scrambling to his feet, he slapped the _falumpaset_'s rump with the _atlatl_. The animal bellowed and plunged forward, shouldering Herns's mount. Herns grabbed for the bridle. Before he could react, Jenais was sprinting toward the _maccaneeks, atlatl_ in one hand and a _buuma_ in the other. Whirling the _atlatl_ over his head, he flung the _buuma_ at the closest of the pursing droids. The energy ball exploded into blue lightning that raced across the droid's body. The droid slumped; its vehicle plowed into the ground and lay in a twisted heap. Its companion advanced, undeterred.  
  
"Go!" cried Jenais. "There are more on the way! I'll hold them as long as I can!" He turned away and ran toward the second _maccaneek_. In the distance, Herns could see four more approaching. The second droid fired past Jenais and both _falumpasets_ bugled, jostling one another. Teeth bared in defiance, Herns turned in the saddle and urged his mount forward, galloping toward the forest in the distance, leading the second animal.  
  
Kimma and Rell Iss met him at the edge of the forest. "What are you doing?!" Herns snarled. "Ride on!"  
  
"We can't!" Kimma insisted. "We might lead the _maccaneeks_ right to the others!"  
  
"Then we make sure none are following," Herns said. He pulled the _falumpaset_'s head around and trotted the animal back to the area just inside the treeline. Like the rest of his group, his ammunition was limited. Herns loaded one of his two remaining _buumas_ into his_ atlatl _and waited.  
  
A second _maccaneek_ had caught up with the first. Herns aimed for the lead droid and threw. Blue fire raced across the metal body as the droid seized up and crashed its vehicle into the grass. Herns's second shot missed; the _maccaneek_ roared toward him as he turned the falumpaset and bolted into the trees. Laser fire followed him into the woods.  
  
Herns shouted to his companions. "Kimma! Rell Iss! It's behind me! Go!"  
  
"Lead it past me!" Kimma told him. She reached up to grasp the branches of a tree and pulled herself out of the saddle. Rell Iss caught the _kaadu_'s reins. Herns turned the _falumpaset_ and trotted it to the edge of the forest. "Get away from here!" Kimma warned Rell Iss. A distraught look on his face, Rell Iss rode off into the forest; a short distance away, he urged his mount into a crouching position, pulling the second animal down with them. They waited. Kimma positioned herself against the tree's trunk.  
  
The second _maccaneek_ glided down the hill to the edge of the forest. "Halt!" it told Herns in a monotone. "Surrender your weapons, and dismount, and you will not be harmed."  
  
Herns hissed at it. Then he wheeled his mount and plunged into the brush. The droid flew after them. The _falumpaset_ crashed through the brush, leading the droid away from its companions and toward Kimma's position. Herns rode past the tree, whooping.  
  
The droid swooped in, firing. Kimma Nril pelted the length of the branch and leaped, arms wrapping around the droid. Her weighed dragged the _maccaneek_ from its STAP, which careened into a tree. Kimma and the droid crashed to the ground together; only the Gungan finally rose to her feet, leaving the rather twisted body of the _maccaneek_ on the ground. Kimma staggered a couple of steps, teeth clenched, and sank to her knees.  
  
"Everything I own feels bruised," she gasped as Herns reined in his mount in front of her.  
  
"Can you ride?" Herns was staring past her at the splotches of light marking the edge of the forest.  
  
"I – I think so," she replied.  
  
"_Caadrey_!" Herns shouted. "Bring both _kaadu_! We need to get out of here!"  
  
Kimma dragged herself into the saddle and signaled the animal to stand. She clutched the saddle horn in one hand and the reins in the other. All three Gungans could hear the humming of approaching droids.  
  
"Let's go," Herns ordered.  
  
Rell Iss stared at the meadow, _haillu_ and eyestalks drooping. "But – Jenais –"  
  
"We can't do anything for him," Herns replied. "Unless we want to be captured as well." He pulled the reins of the second _falumpaset_. "We need to go. Now!" Kicking his mount's flanks, he led the way deeper into the forest. Kimma clucked weakly to her mount and followed; Rell Iss brought up the rear, head bowed.


	9. Chapter 9

Tarpals awoke the following morning to a shroud of mist. He sat up and stretched, breathing deeply and savoring the quiet of the forest. Off to one side, the _Naaboos'_ shelter was a dim grey lump in the fog; the occasional sound of rustling leaves or a small object dropping through tree branches was muted.  
  
After a moment, he climbed to his knees and began folding up his sleeping hide. With any luck, the group assigned to the waystation would be back around mid-day, and they would all be able to move on. After that, it was another day and a half to Tendesay, where they would drop off the _Naaboo_, promise fulfilled, and continue on to the Sacred Place. In the meantime, they would have another morning to work on avoidance strategies in case the _maccaneeks_ managed to catch up with them.  
  
Unconsciously, the Gungan shook his head. Yesterday's practices had not gone well. The _Naaboo_ had had a difficult time dealing with the riding animals. The lack of ammunition had meant that the _militiagungs_ could only do limited target shooting, and their attempts to use the weapons taken from the _maccaneeks_ had been frustrating. Gungan weaponry consisted mostly of things thrown, like the _buumas_, or stabbed with at close range like a _cesta_ or _electropole_. The _maccaneek_ weapons consisted of a trigger and a completely unnatural method of aiming. Large targets weren't a problem, since the weapons shot some sort of energy that shattered whatever it touched, but hitting a small, moving target like a _maccaneek_ required a much greater skill.  
  
Still, there was no point in wasting their time that morning. When Herns's group returned, they would be able to provide information about what, if anything, waited for them outside the boundaries of the forest.  
  
The Gungan rose, picking up the folded leather. He cast about for a low bush, then opened the hide and draped it over the plant. The water would eventually evaporate, and then the hide would be rolled up and tied behind his saddle.  
  
A brief swim yielded both a chance to clean up and a breakfast of fish; as he returned to camp, he could hear others stirring as well. Tarpals bent down to peer into the shelter; the _Naaboo_ appeared to all be asleep. The adult was closest to the opening.  
  
"Rep Brand-ess," murmured Tarpals, reaching in carefully to touch the _Naaboo_ woman on the shoulder. "Rep Brand-ess, iss'n time to be getting all'n yousa up."  
  
She jerked awake and rolled over to blink at him blearily. "Is it morning already?"  
  
"Yiss. Yousan want to get up, find some-att to ett, and meet ussan in the middle of camp. Wesa gott'n more work to do this morning."  
  
Brandes groaned. "I'll be lucky if I can move at all," she remarked, but managed to sit up. Tarpals left her to rouse the children. The woman waited until he had disappeared into the mist. Then she stretched several times to limber up her muscles. Once the others were awake, she said, "Melni, go to the other shelter and make sure the others are up. Tell them to come here as soon as they can. I think we need to hold a council."  
  
"Yes, Minister Brandes," Melni replied, and picked her way over to the other shelter. In a few minutes she had returned with the teens and Irric in tow. "Everyone in and sit down," Brandes ordered them.  
  
"Are we going to look for breakfast?" asked Irric as he sat next to Edvic.  
  
"Eventually," Brandes said. "But first I want to talk to everyone about something else. Last night, you had one of the Gungans sleeping outside your shelter, didn't you?"  
  
"Orrin," Saché answered. "She said that after the _zalaaca_ attack the night before that she thought it might be a good idea to stay near us after dark." The Handmaiden paused. "You think she had a different reason, right?"  
  
"Yes. We had the captain himself outside last night, and it didn't have anything to do with the _zalaaca_," Brandes told them. "Apparently some of the Gungans are very unhappy about having us along and being forced to work with us. The captain seemed to think they might try to do something unpleasant."  
  
A circle of solemn faces surrounded her. "Why?" asked Nalla. "We didn't do anything to them."  
  
"That doesn't matter, Nalla," Yané replied. "We're different, and they see us as helpless."  
  
"And I don't think their practice sessions yesterday went any better than ours," Saché added.  
  
"I'm concerned that the captain was worried enough about his own people that he chose to guard us himself," Brandes continued. "I can't believe he or Orrin or Lieutenant Peskis would do anything to harm any of us, but I'm not sure about any of the other soldiers. We've already seen one of them bully Edvic, and I've overheard some of the comments some of the others have made. I'm having second thoughts about staying with the Gungans at this point. I think the worst they would do might be to abandon us, but frankly, that's bad enough. I think it might be a good idea to have an alternative plan before things deteriorate any further.  
  
"Now, Saché and Yané, you've both learned how to build shelters, correct?" Both teens nodded. "And thanks to Irric and Nalla, we know enough about food that we could probably manage, although the captain doesn't seem to think we're more than a couple of days from Tendesay."  
  
"We'd do better with riding animals," Saché said bluntly. "I know the _kaadu_ won't let us ride, but we've been working with the _falumpasets_ for the last few days, and they're certainly strong enough to carry us to Tendesay." Seeing the look on Brandes's face, she added, "I don't like the idea of stealing their animals, either, but I think we should at least consider it. It would make it a lot easier to get where we're going so that everyone doesn't have to walk."  
  
"The Gungans picked up droid weapons, too," Edvic added. "If we could get ahold of a few of them, we'd have some defense if the Trade Federation troops caught up with us again. Besides, if we have weapons, we could force them to let us go."  
  
"I'd just as soon not shoot anyone," Brandes said. "Most of the Gungans have been decent enough. There are only a few who openly dislike us."  
  
Edvic muttered something under his breath.  
  
"What about Zanté?" asked Melni suddenly. "Are you going to leave her with the Gungans?"  
  
Brandes sighed and considered. "I know that Sen Tal and Hanar seem to be genuinely concerned about her, and are letting her stay with their children, but leaving her is unacceptable. I'm sure her parents will want her back, and frankly I'd rather not leave any of us with the Gungans, no matter how friendly they seem. I'll just have to get her away from them somehow."  
  
"The most difficult part will be getting away," Saché said. "During the day, the Gungans are all riding, and the _kaadu_ are a lot faster than the _falumpasets_. And during the night, the Gungans are keeping an eye on their herds."  
  
"Maybe we could pretend that you and Yané want to have a practice session this evening," Nalla suggested. "That way you could have the _falumpasets_ all saddled and ready, and the Gungans would mostly be on foot."  
  
"We can't steer the animals very well yet," Saché reminded her. "And I doubt it would take long for the Gungans to come after us – they're a lot more used to riding than we are. Besides, then we'd be traveling after dark. The Gungans can see a lot better than we can at night."  
  
Brandes sighed. "I'm beginning to feel as much a prisoner now as I did when we were captives of the Trade Federation." She looked around the group. "Well, if nothing else, I agree that getting some of the droid weapons would help." She addressed the three teens. "If you get a chance to get ahold of some, take it. Orrin's been friendly enough, and she seems to have the Captain's confidence. Perhaps she'd let us have the blasters if we asked and explained the situation."  
  
"Why don't you ask the Captain?" suggested Arlan. "He seems to like you."  
  
Brandes smiled and patted his shoulder. "He deals with me because I'm the oldest of our group, and I'm in charge, not because he likes me, Arlan. But I'll discuss our situation with him. First, though, I think we all need to clean up and find something to eat, as the Captain suggested."  
  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
  
The humans gathered in the middle of the camp along with the Gungans, and Tarpals began handing out assignments – the gathering of food, the practice sessions, the loading of supplies. Midway through the meeting, however, there came the raucous squawking of the peko-peko. The call repeated itself twice, and suddenly all the Gungans tensed. Heads turned toward the sound. The humans looked warily from one face to another.  
  
"What's happening?" Saché whispered to Orrin.  
  
"Dat's the signal from one'a oursan sentries," Orrin replied. "Someone's commin'."  
  
There came a second call, this time of a different swamp bird, and most of the Gungans relaxed.  
  
"Our away party?" Yané guessed.  
  
"Yiss," Orrin replied. She frowned. "Deysa early."  
  
A few moments later, a crackling of undergrowth heralded the arrival of several large creatures pushing through the forest. One of the _falumpasets_ emerged from a screen of growth, followed by the second. Riders sat on both animals. Behind them plodded a _kaadu_; its rider held the reins of another, riderless animal.  
  
Tarpals, Sen Tal, Peskis and two others sprinted for the approaching party. The rider on the second _falumpaset_, who the humans could now see was Kimma Nril, was slumped in the saddle, clinging to the saddle horn to keep herself from slipping off; Herns, astride the first beast, held the reins. The third rider was Rell Iss.  
  
From the other side of the group, Hanar groaned and pushed his way through the crowd to run after Sen Tal. Herns had brought the _falumpasets_ to a halt; his animal leaned forward and bent its front knees to allow him to slide off. He immediately urged the second animal to do the same. Kimma lurched to one side and all but fell into Sen Tal's arms. Tarpals caught her knees. The two Gungans lowered her carefully to the ground.  
  
"_Maatra_?" squeaked Temmis in a quavering voice. He let go of Plirri's hand and ran after his parents. The younger Gungan scurried after him, followed by Zanté. "_Maatra_?"  
  
Hanar turned at the sound of his voice. "No. You two stay there." He trotted back toward them, stooping to catch Temmis by the shoulders. "They don't need all of us standing around them right now."  
  
"Is something wrong with _Maatra_? Is she all right?"  
  
"She's hurt, Temmis, but I don't know how badly." Hanar reached for Plirri, but the youngster evaded him and ran to Sen Tal, who picked him up. The little Gungan clung to his father and peered down at his mother.  
  
"Wanna see _Maatra_," Plirri protested. Sen Tal carried him to where Temmis and Hanar stood.  
  
"You can see her in a minute, Plirri," Sen Tal said. "Right now the Captain and Lieutenant Peskis need to see her more."  
  
"Is _Maatra_ sick?"  
  
"No. She's hurt, but she's still alive. Having us hovering over them won't help."  
  
Tarpals, crouched beside Kimma, straightened and caught Herns's eye. The captain jerked his head, and the two of them walked a short distance away. "Report, Corporal."  
  
"We were attacked," Herns replied. "Yesterday afternoon, as we were approaching the waystation. Five _maccaneeks_ on their flying vehicles. Somehow they knew we were there." He described the battle, Kimma's leap and injury. "We spent last night hiding, then running, then hiding so we wouldn't lead them back to you."  
  
"Jenais?"  
  
Herns shook his head. "I don't know. Captured, probably. He held the _maccaneeks_ off long enough for us to get away. I saw him still standing when I looked back."  
  
Tarpals squeezed his eyes closed. Jenais had served with the Third for nine seasons, and was a valued scout. "All right." He called around Herns. "Orrin!"  
  
Orrin came trotting through the brush. "See that the animals are rubbed down and pastured. Break out some of our ammunition and send two others around the sentries to distribute it. I want them watching for _maccaneeks_."  
  
"We lost them!" Herns snapped.  
  
"I'd rather be prepared," Tarpals replied. "Also, tell Vlenka to find food for the returning party."  
  
"Yes, sir." Orrin, with a worried look at the knot of people around Kimma, turned away.  
  
"Captain, if we move quickly, we might be able to go back and pick up the _maccaneeks_' trail," Herns suggested.  
  
"No."  
  
"But—"  
  
"No!" Tarpals snapped. "We are low on ammunition, we have a wounded member of the group, you three have been riding most of the night and are in no condition to do anything but rest. We knew that trying for the waypost was risky. I won't put anyone in danger like that until we've had a chance to regroup." He turned as Peskis stepped up and stood discreetly at his elbow.  
  
"Captain, Kimma Nril has suffered severe bruising. She may be bleeding inside. She needs to rest, and we need to treat her. I'd like to get her under shelter as soon as possible."  
  
"Yes. Commandeer whoever you need." Peskis saluted and signed to the _militiagungs_ to get two more people over to carry their wounded comrade. Tarpals turned back to Herns. "Even if you left now, the _maccaneeks_ have had plenty of time to take Jenais elsewhere."  
  
"A small group—"  
  
"The answer is 'no'!" Tarpals barked. "Go get something to eat, get some rest. You did a valiant job, but someone else needs to deal with this now."  
  
Herns sneered; for a moment he seemed on the verge of saying something else, then turned and stalked away. Tarpals considered calling him back and reprimanding him for not saluting, and then mentally waved it off. He cast about for Rell Iss, who had dismounted and turned the reins of both _kaadu_ over to two _militiagungs_.  
  
The younger Gungan saluted, then stared down at the ground. Tarpals bent forward a little. "Rell Iss. Are you hurt?"  
  
"No, sir," Rell Iss murmured.  
  
"Rell Iss!" Tarpals repeated. His aide looked up. "Report."  
  
Rell Iss's mouth opened and closed several times. Finally he managed, "We reached the edge of the woods late yesterday afternoon and started across the field to the lake. We were about halfway there when we heard...them. The _maccaneeks_. They came toward us from the direction of the lake. We turned and ran, but the _falumpasets_ were slower than the _kaadu_ and – and – Jenais jumped off to fight the _maccaneeks_. I – I wanted to go back and help, but my mount slipped.... Kimma came back and past me and fought off the _maccaneeks_ so my _kaadu_ had time to get its balance and then we rode for the forest. When Herns caught up with us, he was alone, and then –"  
  
"Slow down."  
  
Rell Iss took a deep breath. "Yes, sir. Herns and Kimma fought three of the _maccaneeks_ at the edge of the woods. One of them followed us in, and Kimma jumped it. But when she got up, she was – was hurt, and –"  
  
"All right, Rell Iss, that's enough for now. Go get something to eat and some rest."  
  
"Sir, Jenais –"  
  
"We can't do anything for him right now, Rell Iss."  
  
"Sir, he – he saved all of us."  
  
Tarpals sighed. "I know. His loss is painful. But think about this: Kimma and her family were captured by the _maccaneeks_. They were being taken to a holding area. If Jenais survived, he's most likely still alive. It's possible that he might either escape, or that we may eventually find and free him. But going back into the open after him right now is a poor idea." Tarpals reached out and squeezed Rell Iss's shoulder. "Jenais did his duty. You did yours. It's a blessing you weren't all taken. We won't leave Jenais in the _maccaneeks'_ hands indefinitely. Now, go rest."  
  
"Yes, Captain." Rell Iss walked toward the camp, shoulders bowed. Tarpals turned to watch Peskis, Sen Tal, and two more Gungans carefully lift Kimma Nril and carry her toward camp. Kimma's eyes opened and she said something to Sen Tal, and then let her head rest on his arm. As they passed the rest of her family, Hanar and the children fell in behind them. The combined group of Gungans and humans watched solemnly as Kimma was borne to her family's shelter.  
  
Tarpals sighed, then motioned one of his Patrol members over and set him the task of continuing the _militiagungs'_ target practice. Giving everyone something to do would distract them from the failed mission and provide him with time to think. Without the extra ammunition and food, getting to Tendesay was going to be much more difficult. The _maccaneeks_ apparently patrolled the open areas of the planet; the rest of the journey to Tendesay would have to be through fields and grasslands, where the Gungans would be highly visible. Taking the _Naaboo_ with them to the Sacred Place was one possibility, but Tarpals doubted that either his superior officers or the civilian authorities would be happy with him. Besides, he had promised the _Naaboo_ an escort to Tendesay. And the route to the Sacred Place included a couple of forays into open country as well. Perhaps at night....  
  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
  
Rell Iss had foraged half-heartedly, but instead of following the Captain's order to rest, he settled himself on a fallen tree and stared morosely off into the dark green of the forest. Well, it was a form of resting, he supposed, drawing his knees up to his chest and lowering his chin onto his folded arms.  
  
The youngest member of the Third Mounted Patrol, Rell Iss had been alternately teased and parented by most of the older riders. Ven Artil and the Captain were the most demanding, but also strongly supportive. Artil had a family and plenty of experience dealing with youngsters; he knew when to push and when to listen. Tarpals, who didn't seem particularly close to any of his clan family's children, had more of a tendency to lecture, but had also praised Rell Iss to both the youngster's parents and to the upper level commanders of the Gungan Grand Army. According to the captain, General Ceel himself had expressed an interest in taking Rell Iss on as a junior officer when his training period with the Third was over.  
  
But now.... Their civilization disrupted, a failed mission, a missing comrade.... Rell Iss buried his face in his arms.  
  
"Are you playing hide-and-seek?" piped a _Naaboo_ voice. Arlan, the _sprattling_ with the red hair, climbed onto the log beside Rell Iss.  
  
"No. Go 'way." The Gungan's voice was muffled. In the woodlands, one was always expected to be alert, Rell Iss knew, but right then he didn't care about predators or _maccaneeks_.  
  
"Are you sick?"  
  
"No." Didn't _Naaboo_ understand simple instructions? "Leave mesa 'lone."  
  
"Nobody's s'posed to be by themselves, Minister Brandes said so. And your dad probably wouldn't like it, either."  
  
Rell Iss lifted his head, about to snap at the boy. An unfamiliar word stopped him. "Ded?"  
  
"Dad. Your father. Isn't the captain your father?"  
  
Still too miserable to laugh at the _Naaboo_'s mistake, Rell Iss merely scowled. "The kippton, hesa my commanding off'cer. My _paatras_, deysa gone to Sacred Place with the rest'n oursan people." _I hope._  
  
"Oh." Arlan sounded puzzled; Rell Iss doubted that the _Naaboo_ understood what he'd just said, but he didn't feel like explaining it. The _sprattling_ focused on Rell Iss's message horn.  
  
"Can you play music on that? My dad can play the rettan-horn."  
  
"Mesa play messages," Rell Iss replied.  
  
"What's that mean?"  
  
Rell Iss unfolded his legs and turned slightly toward the boy. "Messages iss'n series of notes, tells ever'one what to do. Iff'n wesa ridin' an' the kippton wants ussan to stop, mesa play one set of notes. Iff'n wesa seein' some-att comin' at ussan an' wesa wanta warn ever'one, mesa play different notes."  
  
"Oh. Don't you know any songs?"  
  
Irritated, Rell Iss replied, "Messages iss more important. Deysa tell ever'one what's goin' on, what to do. Iss liken talkin' to each other, 'cept without words."  
  
"I can do that!" Arlan exclaimed. "Peskis taught us! See? This is the sign for 'thank you'—" Arlan's hand touched first his chest, then his mouth, "—and this is the sign for 'come here', and –"  
  
"Well, at least they can be taught simple tricks," sneered Herns's voice from behind them. Both Rell Iss and Arlan jumped, startled. The boy paled at the sight of the adult Gungan; Rell Iss swung both legs over the log and turned to face Herns.  
  
"Yousa wastin' yoursa time tryin' to teach dem ennyt'ing," Herns remarked, switching to _Bassic_. "Deysa not smartie 'nough to unnerstand."  
  
"You're mean!" Arlan snapped furiously. The young _Naaboo_ jumped off the log and stood scowling up at Herns fiercely, fists clenched. Rell Iss blinked at him in surprise. "All you ever do is push people around and say bad things about them! My dad says that people who do that are bullies! An' you should always stand up to bullies!"  
  
Herns bent forward until his face was only a finger's width away from the boy's nose. "An' did yoursa ded tell yousa what happens when a little'un liken yousa tries some-att liken dat?" He seized the front of the _Naaboo'_s shirt, lifting him up onto his toes.  
  
Arlan struggled. "Let go! I'll tell the captain!"  
  
Rell Iss's stomach suddenly felt knotted. The _Naaboo_ was annoying, granted, but nobody had any right to beat a child. "Leave him alone, Herns," he said in High Gungan. "He's barely old enough to have a name."  
  
"They're the reason the _maccaneeks_ are here in the first place," Herns responded, the boy still dangling from one hand. "They meddle where they don't belong. And do you know that's been happening while we've been gone? The rest of the patrol has been practicing fighting, while the _Naaboo_ have been practicing hiding!" He all but dropped Arlan; the boy fell backward, sprawling at Rell Iss's feet. Eyes tearing, Arlan scrambled upright and fled toward camp, leaving Rell Iss staring after him.  
  
"He's only a _sprattling_," Rell Iss said. "You shouldn't pick on him. It's not his fault."  
  
Herns cocked his head, and then nodded slowly. "You're right. The little one isn't the problem." He turned his head back toward camp, and added thoughtfully, "And really, the _Naaboo_ aren't the true problem right now, either."  
  
Rell Iss sagged a little in relief. Seeing Herns as a bully made Rell Iss uncomfortable. His respect for the corporal had grown considerably in the last two days as he had watched Herns battle the _maccaneeks_ and lead a diminished scouting group back to camp safely. After all, the _maccaneeks_ were the real threat now. "I agree, Corporal."  
  
Herns nodded, turning back to him. "Absolutely. I don't see any point in wasting time fighting with the _Naaboo. Caadrey_," he added politely as a farewell, and then strode off in the direction of camp. Rell Iss watched him go, feeling suddenly exhausted. They were back among their people, others were watching out for dangers, and Herns was going to leave the _Naaboo_ alone. The young Gungan stretched wearily and yawned. Maybe it was finally time to rest.  
  
Rell Iss felt an emotional twinge. Arlan had fled back to camp, probably terrified. The Gungan had siblings of his own, and he knew how he'd feel if someone hurt them. Since he was heading back to camp anyway, he supposed there was no harm in making certain the _Naaboo_ was all right.


	10. Chapter 10

In the Nril family's wood and leaf shelter, Peskis squeezed Kimma shoulder. "You're not bleeding inside, as I feared, but you shouldn't be moving around," he told her. Sen Tal and Hanar hovered over him; Temmis sat beside her other shoulder and Plirri was curled up with his head resting on his mother's arm. "I'm going to make something for you to drink. It will help bring the swelling down, and let you sleep and recover more easily. However, it's going to take a while to find some of the ingredients. In the meantime, you are to rest." He looked up at Temmis. "You and Zanté could help by finding her something to eat," Peskis suggested. Temmis, looking relieved at being able to do something, nodded energetically. The Gungan scout rose and turned to Kimma's _essoans_. "She's in no immediate danger, but all that jolting last night didn't help. She needs rest and quiet." Both males nodded. "I'll be back with the medicine as soon as I can. I'm going to find some folks to help me gather ingredients."  
  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Tarpals had made the rounds of the camp. The riding animals were settled in their pasture, Rell Iss had gone off to rest, and the sentries had reported nothing of interest moving on the perimeter of their positions. Herns had done an impressive job of losing his _maccaneek_ pursuers, particularly while caring for a wounded teammate. When they finally reached the Sacred Place, Tarpals decided, he'd make it a point to deliver a complimentary report to General Yoss. If the Corporal could just keep himself under control instead of arguing with his superior officers and antagonizing the _Naaboo_....  
  
As if on cue, Herns approached him at the edge of the camp's clearing.  
  
"Captain, I need to talk to you."  
  
Tarpals eyed him. "You're supposed to be resting, Corporal."  
  
"I know, Captain, but I wanted to talk to you first. It's about what we're going to do next."  
  
Sternly, Tarpals told him, "I haven't decided what we're going to do next. We need time to rest and get Kimma Nril stabilized. While that's happening, the rest of us are going to keep drilling until we can work together as a team."  
  
"Even the _Naaboo_?"  
  
"Yes, even the _Naaboo_. If we're all going to reach Tendesay, everyone needs to do their part."  
  
Herns jerked his head several times irritably. "Captain, I disagree." Tarpals blinked, then scowled. Herns added, "Permission to speak freely, sir?"  
  
Tarpals hesitated, then, remembering Herns's efforts in getting his team back to camp safely, said, "Granted."  
  
"Sir, the _Naaboo_ are the reason we're facing this whole crisis in the first place. I think we would be better off letting them go on to Tendesay on their own, while we return to the swamps and meet the rest of our people at the Sacred Place. We don't have the supplies for an extended trip into the grasslands. We've taken the _Naaboo_ this far, but now I think it's too dangerous for us to go any further with them. We rescued them from the _maccaneeks_ and brought them to the edge of their territory. Surely we don't owe them our lives as well."  
  
Tarpals's eyes narrowed. "You intend for us to turn a group of children loose and let them try to walk across open land to Tendesay, with no supplies or protection? Herns, the _maccaneeks_ found you not long after you entered the grasslands. Your party barely escaped, with one member lost, and that only because you had riding animals and a team of warriors to take on the _maccaneeks_. Sending the _Naaboo_ out in the open would almost certainly mean they'd be recaptured. No," he snapped, as Herns opened his mouth. "You've had your say, Corporal, and your opinion has been noted. But I'm the ranking officer here. I gave the _Naaboo_ my word that we would take them to Tendesay, and that's what will happen. There's a time for discussion, and a time for obeying orders. End of discussion. Dismissed!"  
  
"But –"  
  
"Dismissed!" Tarpals repeated.  
  
Herns growled softly, then whirled and stalked away. Tarpals shook his head and turned away, meaning to observe the target practice training.  
  
Herns's full weight crashed against the Captain's back, and both Gungans went down in a heap, the younger Gungan on top. Herns drew himself up to deal a blow to the back of Tarpals's head, but the older Gungan twisted and caught his arm in mid-strike. Tarpals deflected the blow, causing Herns to tumble sideways, and sprang to his feet. The two combatants faced off.  
  
"Corporal, this is not—"  
  
Herns lunged at Tarpals, teeth bared. Tarpals blocked him, shoving his wrist across Herns's throat. Herns's momentum carried them both backwards. Tarpals stumbled into the brush behind him; the branches tangled around his legs. Both Gungans crashed to the ground, shattering the bush. Herns twisted, catching the trailing edge of one of Tarpals's _haillu_ in his teeth. Tarpals gave his head a quick snap; he felt his skin tear, but the hard, thorny "claws" on the edges of his free ear slashed Herns across the face, cutting his nose. Snarling, the younger Gungan let go, giving the Captain time to scramble to his feet.  
  
Herns charged, and Tarpals stepped in to meet him, catching the other Gungan's arm and dragging him full circle to pin the arm behind his back. Herns turned into the motion, twisting and snarling; teeth snapped shut a finger's width from the older Gungan's eye. Herns's free arm swept in an arc, fist clenched. Tarpals ducked the punch, losing his grip on Herns's arm, and rolled forward to a standing position, wheeling to face his opponent.  
  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
  
Rell Iss found Arlan huddled in Hela Brandes's arms, wailing, face wet. The Gungan stared, puzzled – his people did not weep; their eyes lacked the tear ducts of a human. However, the sound of grief was similar, and Rell Iss could tell the young _Naaboo_ was upset. Brandes frowned up at Rell Iss, whose _haillu_ drooped as a sign of remorse. "If Corporal Herns is with you, I've got something scathing to tell him," she warned.  
  
"Hesa gone," Rell Iss assured her. "Mesa kemm to check onna _sprattling_."  
  
Arlan sniffled, and Brandes hugged him. "I think he's more frightened than hurt, but that's bad enough! Herns should be ashamed of himself!"  
  
"Hesa sedd yousa not the pro'lem," Rell Iss said. "My don't think hesa gonna bother yousan any more."  
  
"He'd better not," Brandes replied, "or I'll give him a good slap, too!"  
  
Privately, Rell Iss doubted that would stop Herns for more than a few moments, but he remained silent. Herns had indicated that he would leave the _Naaboo_ alone, and there was no point looking for trouble when plenty of trouble was already at hand.  
  
Rell Iss found himself in the awkward position of having to explain a superior officer's action to someone. "Wesan all berry tired," he began, "an' wesa none of ussan thinkin' berry clearly right now. Wass a long night. The corp'rol, hesa fought _maccaneeks_ and found ussan hidin' places during the night. My know hesa sometimes pushin' people 'round, but hesa rilly a brave—"  
  
"Stop!" Brandes interrupted. "I understand that you must all have had a terrible night, but Herns should be adult enough to come and apologize for himself. You don't need to do it for him." Some of the anger faded from Brandes's face. "I'm sorry, but I don't remember your name," she said. Rell Iss introduced himself. The _Naaboo_ female nodded, then looked down at Arlan. "All right?" she asked. Arlan nodded and sat up.  
  
Brandes gave him a final squeeze. Her eyes fell on the message horn strapped to Rell Iss's back. "Are you a musician, Rell Iss?"  
  
"Mesa messenger. Sound commands," Rell Iss told her.  
  
She nodded briskly. "I've heard some of them – your music tells us when to stop for rests and such." She pointed to the horn. "May I see it? I'm a harpist, myself, but I'm always interested in musical instruments."  
  
Rell Iss untied the horn and held it out to her. She gripped it gently, turning it over and peering at the long neck and handgrip. "This is lovely. Did you make it?"  
  
"No. Wesa gott'n folk who mekk them special."  
  
"And it's all hand-made?"  
  
Rell Iss blinked in surprise. "Course'n." How else would one make a horn? They didn't grow on trees like fruit, after all.  
  
Brandes seemed on the verge of asking another question, and the rest of the children, Arlan, included, leaned forward to examine the horn, when something crashed at the far side of the camp. Rell Iss jumped to his feet. The sentries hadn't sounded a warning –  
  
Leaving the horn in the Naaboo's hands, Rell Iss sprinted for the _electropole_ he had left on his sleeping hide, and then joined two of the other scouts racing in the direction of the sounds of struggle.  
  
All three of them skidded to a halt at the edge of a circle of spectators. Rell Iss pushed his way to the front of the crowd, and gaped as Herns launched himself at Tarpals and the two grappled. Shaking off his surprise, the Gungan aide raised his _electropole_, but Peskis appeared beside him and grabbed the haft of the weapon.  
  
"No!" Peskis said. "They have to settle this themselves."  
  
"He's attacking the captain!" Rell Iss protested.  
  
"Leave them!" the older scout snapped. "They have to fight this out. Everything depends on this!" He raised his voice. "No one interfere!"  
  
Bewildered, Rell Iss looked around the group. Most of the faces showed expressions of shock, some anger, others speculation. In Gungan society, bull males no longer fought one another, except during supervised bouts or combat practice. Most of the supervised competitions were held at the beginning of the rainy season, as both males and females who would be mating that year began to experience their reproductive urges. The competitions were among the "tests" a Gungan needed to pass in order to participate in the mating rituals. Although any responsible Gungan adult, even one without life partners, could Take In and raise a _sprattling_, Gungan society expected the best, brightest, and strongest of the race to produce the next generation of children.  
  
By now even the humans had arrived to see who was fighting. The children instinctively pressed close to Brandes, who was still clutching the message horn, leaving the three teens off to one side. Saché leaned toward Yané. "This might be a good time to get those droid weapons," she murmured to Yané. "I think I know where the Gungans have them stashed...." The two Handmaidens, Edvic behind them, eased their way backward away from the crowd, which was focused on the two combatants. Melni Bibble turned toward them, but Saché put a finger to her lips. The younger girl watched the three teens slip away. Glancing back at the fight, Melni bit her lower lip as the Gungans faced one another, _haillu_ raised in a fighting stance. The girl looked over her shoulder toward the pasture where the animals were kept. There were now three _falumpasets_ again. No one was watching her. For once, she could help. Melni hunched down and crept away from the fight, then straightened and ran for the pasture area.  
  
Crouching, Tarpals clasped both hands together and snapped erect, slamming his fists into Herns's chin in a vicious uppercut. The other Gungan reeled full circle and collapsed against the trunk of a tree. Tarpals snatched the _electropole_ from Rell Iss's hands and shoved the tip against Herns's throat at the base of his chin.  
  
For a moment both glared at each other, panting heavily. The rest of the group, Gungans and humans alike, stood transfixed, waiting. Zanté clapped both hands over her eyes and threw herself against Temmis; the young Gungan staggered and reflexively grabbed for her to steady himself. They stood together, the Gungan clinging to the human girl. Plirri huddled against Zanté's back, eyes closed and face buried in the fabric of the girl's clothing.  
  
Tarpals caught the action from the corner of his eye. For another moment he stood, staring at Herns, whose teeth were bared and yellow eyes narrowed to slits.  
  
Then the older Gungan stepped back, withdrawing the tip of the _electropole_ from Herns's throat. He lowered the weapon; then, in one swift motion, raised it and thrust it tip-first into the ground at his feet.  
  
"And this is what we've come to," he burst out in High Gungan, whirling to face the rest of the group. "The _maccaneeks_ ravage our world while we bicker over what to do with a group of children! Our way of life is threatened, we come under attack, and how do we respond? By becoming the savage primitives the _Naaboo_ have always seen us as. Is this what you want, Herns?" He reached forward to snag the Corporal's tunic and dragged him forward to stare around the rest of the circle. "Is this what all of you want? You want to leave the _Naaboo_ behind, Herns? I wouldn't blame them if they went running to the _maccaneeks_ and asked _them_ to protect the children from _us_!"  
  
Herns scowled, and Tarpals continued. "These _Naaboo_ are victims of the invasion, just like our own people. They have been willing to do whatever has been asked of them -- some have volunteered to do more than what was asked. I notice no one among us has turned down the food they gathered." There was a general murmuring among the Gungans, and several averted their eyes.  
  
"The only thing that keeps our civilization together is the willingness of each of us to help one another," Tarpals said. "If we give that up, we might as well seek out the _maccaneek_ army and surrender right now. We can't do that. Our people are counting on us to return to them. Any knowledge we bring with us of the _maccaneeks_ will be invaluable in fighting the invaders. Here we have a perfect opportunity to learn. We stand a better chance of survival with the _Naaboos_' knowledge than without it." 

Hela Brandes leaned forward and touched Peskis on the arm. "What's he saying?" The Ankuran Gungan turned his head and murmured a translation. Brandes suddenly handed the horn to Irric and stepped into the middle of the group. "Please, listen to me. I know we haven't been the best traveling companions. The children are young, and none of us are used to living in the woods like this." She looked from one Gungan face to another. "You've taught us a great deal – how to find food, how to build shelters, how to care for the animals. But some of us know things you might find useful. The two oldest girls, Saché and Yané, know how to fire the droid – the _maccaneek_ – weapons. The oldest boy, Edvic, knows about mechanical things – that's what the droids are. The children and I have done our best to learn whatever skills we need." She gazed around the circle at the Gungans. "I know our two races have avoided each other most of the time, but if there was ever a time to change that, to work together, this is it."  
  
"In the end, I can't force anyone to do this," Tarpals said. "Anyone who want to leave can go. Make your way to the Sacred Place as best you can, and tell the rest of our people what's happened."  
  
Eyes widened around the circle. The members of Tarpals's command stared at him open-mouthed. "Captain?" began Rell Iss.  
  
Tarpals held up a hand. "No. The _militiagungs_ are free to go, as are you. You're safe enough here for the time being. Give Kimma Nril a few days to recover, then go to the Sacred Place. Orrin would be the ranking member of the Patrol riders. The rest of you may follow Herns or whomever you want."  
  
Rell Iss turned to Orrin, eyes pleading. The female titled her head to one side and asked, "What are you going to do?"  
  
Tarpals wrenched his _electropole_ from the ground. "I'm going to escort the _Naaboo_ to Tendesay, as best I can. I don't expect any of the rest of you to take the risk."  
  
Orrin and the rest of the Third Mounted Patrol members exchanged glances. With Ven Artil gone and their normal chain of command shattered, no one was quite sure who was the second ranking officer in their midst.  
  
Rell Iss stared down at the pole in his hands, listening to the murmuring of the other Patrol members. He remembered the overwhelming fear he'd felt while running from the _maccaneek_ scouts, and the shame at leaving Jenais to his fate. But he also remembered how proud he and his family had been when he'd been selected as the Captain's aide and as the messenger for the Third Mounted Patrol, both respected positions in the regiment. The captain and his second in command had spent hours training Rell Iss in both written and horn-sound messages, patiently coaching and correcting errors. In a sense, he'd been adopted into an elite "family" within the ranks of the Patrol. Rell Iss raised his eyes to his captain and stepped forward.  
  
"No."  
  
Tarpals blinked. "'No', what?"  
  
"No, I'm not going to the Sacred Place. If you're going to Tendesay, then I'm going too." Then he added, "Sir."  
  
"Rell Iss –"  
  
"You said we could chose," Rell Iss returned, "and that's what I'm choosing."  
  
The captain glanced at the humans; they knew something was happening, but because they couldn't understand High Gungan, none of them were quite sure what. "Rell Iss, it's a dangerous path to Tendesay," Tarpals warned. "I don't expect to return."  
  
Rell Iss stared back defiantly. "I don't care. I'm going, too. I'd rather go back and face those _maccaneeks_ than slink back to the Sacred Place and - and have you think I'm a coward."  
  
Tarpals sighed and laid a hand on Rell Iss's shoulder. "You're not a coward, Rell Iss, just young and inexperienced. None of us ever trained for anything like this. We're all swimming blind right now." He shook his head. "I can't ask you to take the risk that would be involved in going to Tendesay."  
  
Orrin moved up behind Rell Iss and put a hand on his other shoulder. "Well, too bad, Captain. Because _we're_ going to do it anyway. So you'd better get used to the company." The rest of the riders nodded and murmured their consent.  
  
"We don't care what the rest of this lot does, Captain, we're with you," Vlenka added, glaring at the rest of the _militiagungs_. "So should the rest of you be, if you have any sense." A number of _haillu_ and eyestalks drooped in either embarrassment or indecision.  
  
Tarpals sighed and closed his eyes. "Very well." He squeezed Rell Iss's shoulder, and then glanced at each member of the Third. "Thank you." The riders grinned and gathered around him, and for a few moments stood in a tight knot, each member either murmuring to their neighbor or engaging in good-natured jostling. At last Tarpals extricated himself and walked to where Temmis, Zanté and Plirri stood, still clinging to each other. He crouched to put himself on their eye level. "Thass it," he said in Bassic. "No more fighting." He reached over and stroked Zanté's hair. "Iss all right now." The girl finally drew away from Temmis, and Tarpals patted Plirri on the back. Then he looked up at Peskis. "How's Kimma?"  
  
"Weak. She's not likely to die, but she really can't be moved right now." The Lieutenant's look of concern changed to one of hope. "There's medication we can give her that will help, but we'll need to find it and boil it for her, the sooner the better."  
  
"All right." The captain stood up and turned back to the rest of the group. The _militiagungs_ were talking animatedly amongst themselves. Herns stood off to one side, watching.  
  
"So. What have the rest'n yousan decided?" Tarpals asked.  
  
The Gungans stopped talking; after several furtive glances had been exchanged, one said, "Stayin' wit' da Patrol." The rest nodded vigorously.  
  
"Berry well." Tarpals swung on the remaining member of the group. "Herns?"  
  
The rust-colored Gungan tilted his head up and scowled. Rell Iss, at the edge of the group of Patrol riders, caught his eye. The younger Gungan jerked his head toward the group, as if inviting Herns to join them. Herns broke eye contact and turned his gaze to the humans.  
  
Herns turned his gaze back to Tarpals. "They know about the _maccaneeks_ and their weapons?" he asked in High Gungan.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"And you expect to meet the _maccaneeks_ again on the way to Tendesay?"  
  
"Almost certainly," Tarpals replied steadily.  
  
Herns peered down at the ground for a few heartbeats, then back up at the captain. "Then I'm with you, too. I'm not running away again. This time it's our turn to do some damage." Off to one side, Rell Iss offered him a smile.  
  
Tarpals nodded. "No more bullying, Corporal. We don't have time for it."  
  
"Yes, sir." Herns drew himself up and saluted.  
  
Tarpals returned it. "Just a moment." He walked around the group of Patrol riders and _militiagungs_ and approached the humans. "Rep Brand-ess, wesa decided, but mesa wanted to ask yousa, too. Yousan all want to travel with ussan, or sett out on yoursan own?"  
  
Brandes exhaled in relief. "We're traveling with you, Captain. Thank you."  
  
"Then wesan all decided," Tarpals stated.  
  
"Um, not quite," Orrin piped up suddenly. "Wesa missin' a few. H'yané an' Saché an' Edvic, deysa not he-ah." She craned her neck suddenly, as did a number of the other Gungans. The three teens were running toward them; each brandished a hand-blaster.  
  
"All right, everyone stay where you are!" shouted Edvic in what Brandes supposed was meant to be an authoritative voice. "Or we'll shoot!" He waved the blaster back and forth, trying to cover them all at once. Yané and Saché had halted behind him. The Gungans, the children, and Brandes all stared first at them, then at each other. A couple of the _militiagungs_ snickered, and Brandes had to cover her mouth to keep from laughing.  
  
"My suppose iss better late then never," Tarpals remarked dryly.  
  
Saché turned to Yané. "Do you get the feeling we missed something?"  
  
"Yes, I do." The two Handmaidens lowered their weapons. Edvic, still trying to look fierce, gestured with the gun.  
  
"Everyone get away from the children," he commanded.  
  
The Gungans stood looking at each other. Then Orrin jerked her head, and the riders of the Third Mounted Patrol deliberately stepped between the teen and the human youngsters. Edvic stared.  
  
"Edvic," Brandes began.  
  
"Minister, we've got the weapons—"  
  
"I see that."  
  
"And this would be a good time to strike out on our own!"  
  
"No, it wouldn't," she said mildly.  
  
A puzzled expression crept across Edvic's face. "Minister?"  
  
"We've just finished discussing the matter – rather vigorously, I might add—" here Brandes glanced sideways at Tarpals and Herns "—and we've agreed that we're all going to Tendesay. Together. In one very large group."  
  
"But –"  
  
"Unless you want to walk there by yourself," Brandes added.  
  
Edvic stared at her. Yané reached forward and nudged him with her knuckle. "I think they've managed to settle this while we were busy elsewhere."  
  
"But they can't – I mean – um –"  
  
"Yousa might want'n put that down afore yousa shoot someone on h'axident," Tarpals suggested. Edvic, now looking thoroughly bewildered, lowered the blaster. Everyone else relaxed.  
  
The three teens looked at each other, as if coming to a non-verbal agreement. Finally Saché stepped forward and offered the blaster grip-first to Tarpals. "I'm sorry, Captain. We kind of raided your weapon stores."  
  
The Gungan held up a hand. "Kipp it. Yousa gonna need it. An' yousa gonna teach some of ussan how to use them properly." There were nods all around. Several of the _militiagungs_ were eyeing the weapons almost eagerly.  
  
Tarpals turned to the group and beckoned everyone in. "Gott'n lotta work to do, iff'n wesa going to be traveling to Tendesay. Peskis!"  
  
"Sir?"  
  
"Gett'n yoursa foragers together. Yousa start looking for what yousa need for med'cine."  
  
"Yes, sir!" The Ankuran beckoned to the human children. "Diss'a way, all'n yous."  
  
Tarpals turned back to the group. "Those of ussan who wass goin' to be doing target practice, wesa continuing. For now, all'n yousan will work with these three." He gestured at Saché, Yané and Edvic. "When yousa find out which'n ussan iss able to use these weapons, yousa train them. Rest of ussan, wesa kipp practicing with oursan own weapons. All'n the members of the group that went to Splitrock, yousa going to go rest." He turned to eye Herns. "Now! An' my don't want to see yousa 'till at least sunset." His gaze caught Rell Iss's, and the young aide nodded. "Sentries, bekk on duty." Several of the Gungans peeled away from the group and disappeared into the brush.  
  
"Wait!" called Brandes suddenly. "We're still missing one. Where's Melni?"


	11. Chapter 11

Melni pushed her way out of the bushes and crouched at the edge of the herd's grazing area. Glancing around to see if any Gungans were present, she rose and cast about for the animals' tack. The _falumpasets'_ bridles hung from boles and low-bent branches of trees. Melni managed to drag a bridle down and began picking her way across the field. The three _falumpasets_ grazed together in the middle of the herd. The _kaadu_ closest to the human paused and raised their heads, sniffing. Then they began edging away.  
  
The movement of the _kaadu_ opened a corridor through the herd to the _falumpasets_. The movement also caught the largest animal's attention, and it too raised its head and tested the wind. Swinging its head from side to side, it finally focused on the small human girl walking toward it. The _falumpaset_ shook its head vigorously and bellowed. It was answered by some of the other animals. Melni froze – the shouts and sounds from the camp had ceased, and the animal's bellow had undoubtedly carried to Gungan ears.  
  
Under normal circumstances, a threatened _falumpaset_ bolted away from danger. But the forest undergrowth formed an imagined barrier; seemingly trapped, the _falumpasets_ followed their second instinct -- they put their heads down and charged the perceived danger.  
  
Before Melni could move, the _falumpaset_ bugled again, pawing at the ground. Then it put its head down and surged forward. Melni took one look at the huge animal bearing down on her, and bolted. The _kaadu_ scattered, honking in alarm.  
  
Terrified into silence, the human girl fled in the direction of the camp, the _falumpasets_ and a few of the _kaadu_ running behind her. The rest of the animals galloped in all directions. A ragged chorus of bellows, honks and squeals rang through the forest.  
  
  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
  
The sounds of animal cries and stampeding feet reached the group almost before Brandes had finished her question. Melni was running toward them, and behind her pounded a wall of riding animals.  
  
Gungans and humans alike turned to flee.  
  
"Pick up the children! Get them behind trees or logs!" Tarpals was shouting in High Gungan. "Anything solid enough to make the _falumpasets_ go around!" He scooped up the younger of the two Gungan children and hurdled a fallen tree, then wheeled back to deposit the youngster in a hollow under the log. One of the adult Gungans followed, crouching protectively over the child as Tarpals bounded back over the log to shout more directions.  
  
Soldiers snatched up human children and scattered out of the path of the stampede, vanishing into the underbrush; Orrin and two of the _militiagungs_ clambered up trees to avoid being trampled. One of the _militiagungs_, knees folded over a branch, swung over backwards and seized Melni as she passed beneath him, sweeping her up into the tree beside him.  
  
As quickly as they had appeared, the _kaadu_ and _falumpasets_ crashed away into the forest. Shaken humans and Gungans emerged from hiding and gathered in the clearing again.  
  
"Patrol members, sound off," Tarpals ordered, and the members of the Third Mounted Patrol called out their names one by one. "_Militiagungs_!" The rest of the Gungans responded, somewhat less organized. "_Naaboo_!"  
  
Hela Brandes counted children and teens. "We're all here, Captain. Including Melni."  
  
Tarpals tilted his head to stare sternly at the human girl. "Yiss. Mesa noticed." Melni flushed and looked down at the ground. "Wesa deal with that shortly." He turned back to the Patrol members. "Wesa needin' to round all'n the animals up."  
  
"But – but they're scattered!" Brandes protested. "How will you find them?"  
  
The captain snorted. "Yousa remember Peskis's Bargain story, yiss? Long ago, wesa made a special bargain with the _kaadu_. Each of ussan agreed to tekk care of each other. Iss more than chust rider an' mount. Wesa raise thems from chicks, train together. Strong bond, berry close, between rider an' animal. Yousa see." He turned to the rest of the group, looking for the members of his patrol. In High Gungan, he ordered them, "Find your _kaadu_. Call them. Once you've found them, gather as many of the others as you can and bring them back." The Patrol members scattered, leaving only the _militiagungs_ standing in the clearing. "You. Drind. Go check on Kimma Nril and her _essoans_. Make sure they're all right." The female nodded, then suddenly drew herself up and saluted before trotting away. "The rest of you, stay here. Guard the _Naaboo_ and any of the spare animals that come back." He turned to Brandes and switched to Bassic. "Yousa stay with them. Wesa all be bekk soon."  
  
"While wesa waiting," Peskis suggested, "mebbe wesa start looking for med'cine plants." He gathered the children around him, including Melni.  
  
Tarpals waded through the undergrowth away from the clearing. Around him he could already hear various whistles, trills, and other sounds as each individual rider called to his or her mount. Several minutes' walk away from the group, Tarpals halted and put a hand to his muzzle, warbling to his own _kaadu_. He began a large circle through the forest, repeating the sound. The other calls continued, occasionally punctuated by the crackling of underbrush or the honks and bleats of _kaadu_ as the animals began answering their riders.  
  
A few minutes later, a familiar "mmrraaaahhh!" heralded the return of his own mount, a female just passing her prime. The _kaadu_ came trotting through the forest growth, stopped in front of him, and proceeded to utter a series of honks that sounded for all the world as though she were scolding him for letting this whole thing happen. Tarpals clucked to her, then reached up and hooked his fingers through the straps of her halter, pulling her head down so he could rub his cheek against hers. The _kaadu_'s protest stopped and she bleated softly, nudging him with her nose.  
  
For a few moments he stood with her, letting the peace of the deep forest wash over him. His wounded ear throbbed, and he closed his eyes, breathing deeply. Once Kimma had been treated, he'd have to see about getting something for his own injury. He sighed and opened his eyes. "Well. Enough resting, eh, old girl? Let's go back and see if we can get this bickering bunch of civilians to really work together."  
  
As he approached the clearing, he could hear Hela Brandes's voice, pitched low. "Instead of snarling and complaining, you might try focusing on the problem instead of the personalities of everyone around you. Don't they teach you communication skills along with all those military maneuvers?"  
  
Herns and Brandes were off to one side of the clearing. A number of riders had returned, and the area was becoming crowded. "It's like playing a complicated piece of music. No one instrument can do it alone. And if the instruments compete, they just create noise. You need to learn to listen to the people playing around you, and adjust your own playing accordingly. And it helps to pay attention to the conductor." Seeing Tarpals entering the clearing, she concluded with "I'm going to go help Lieutenant Peskis with the children."  
  
As she approached, she could hear Peskis explaining, "Kimma, shesa bruzed some inside. Mesa t'inks wesa kenn hepp her, but needin' lottsa people lookin'. Two plants, deysa hard to find. Diss one—" he held up a dried sample, a stem with long, almost grassy leaves "—grows close to da ground. Looks lott liken grass, so look careful. Call mesa iff'n yousa not sure. And dis—" he displayed a dry vine with small, spade-shaped leaves "—grows on trees liken dat one." He pointed to a tree with rough, wrinkled bark. "Grows up high. Animals know it kenn heal, so deysa ett the lower parts." He turned back to his audience. "Need'n some of both. My'm goin' to start a _pyrus_, but sooner wesa findin' dese, the better." He held the plants out to Irric and Nalla. "Yousa start lookin'." He straightened and addressed the Gungans. "Yousa too. Both'n dese plants gott'n scent to dem. Don' t'ink da _Naaboo_ can smell dem, but yousa kenn." He dismissed them, and then began gathering sticks and flat stones for the fire pit.  
  
Hela Brandes dug the round shallow pit, laying the earth and plants aside as she worked. Peskis beamed at her. "I may not be as young as I used to be, but I can still do this," she told him.  
  
"Ever'one hass dere strengths," Peskis agreed, and they quickly lined the pit with stones and set up the hide and stick supports for boiling the water.  
  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
  
Rell Iss had located his _kaadu_ close to camp; having spent most of the previous day and night traveling, the animal hadn't been inclined to go far once its panic had worn off. The young Gungan slowly led the _kaadu_ through the forest to the edge of camp.  
  
A grey Gungan hand reached up to take the _kaadu_'s halter. "That's far enough," Tarpals said. "You need to go rest. I'll take care of him."  
  
Rell Iss shook his head, as much to wake himself up as to show disagreement. "No, sir. Everyone cares for their own mount."  
  
"Not this time," Tarpals said. "You've done enough. Go lie down before you fall down." He glanced over his shoulder. The youngest of the _Naaboo_ was watching them curiously. "Yousa. Find Melni an' tell her shesa to come he-ah. Now." The _Naaboo_ nodded and scampered off.  
  
"Come. The _Naaboo_'s shelters are on the way to the pasture area. You can sleep in one of them for the rest of the day; no one should bother you." Tarpals took Rell Iss by the arm and led both him and the _kaadu_ across the camp. Tarpals's own mount ambled along behind them of her own accord. As they neared the shelters, the two young _Naaboo_ joined them. Tarpals halted and turned to Arlan. "Rell Iss iss gonna be sleepin' in one'a yoursan shelters. Hesa not to be disturbed. Mekk sure Rep Brand-ess knows thiss'n."  
  
"Yes, sir!" replied Arlan, and took off at a run to find Hela Brandes. Tarpals turned to Melni.  
  
"Yousa. Hold thiss'n." He indicated the _kaadu'_s halter rope. Both Rell Iss and Melni stared at him. "Hesa not gonna bite!" Tarpals snapped. "Yousa caused thiss'n trouble, yousa gonna mekk up for it! Now!" Finally the _Naaboo_, eyes wide, took the rope and stood there clutching it.  
  
"Go to bed, Rell Iss," Tarpals ordered in High Gungan. "I don't want to see you before sunset, either." His aide looked as though he were going to protest. Tarpals scowled and folded his arms; Rell Iss finally saluted wearily and crawled into the shelter.  
  
Tarpals caught the rope on his _kaadu'_s halter and turned back to Melni. "Yousa. Bring him. Thiss'a way." As he walked away toward the pasture, Melni gazed up at the _kaadu_ standing patiently at the other end of the halter rope. Finally Melni tugged at the rope. The _kaadu_ balked. Melni yanked at the rope, but the animal refused to move, swiveling its head toward the entrance of the shelter where Rell Iss had disappeared. Melni planted both feet and pulled. The _kaadu_ straightened, and suddenly the human girl found herself dangling at the end of the rope, her feet several hands-length above the ground.  
  
"Yousa goin' to have to try harder than that," Tarpal's voice said in her ear. Melni almost let go of the rope in surprise. The Gungan had returned alone; he grasped the rope above her hands and pulled the _kaadu_'s head down, allowing her to stand. "Hesa big animal, an' yousa not," Tarpals explained. "An' hesa don't know yousa." He reached up and patted the animal's neck, then took the halter and pulled the _kaadu'_s head down further. "Thiss'n Melni," he told the animal. The _kaadu_ sniffed at the girl's face and hair. "Don't move quick," Tarpals said. "Yousa scare himsa." She stood still and let the _kaadu_ nose her face and clothing.  
  
"Now, wesa go," Tarpals said. He grasped the halter. "Hup!" The _kaadu_ began walking and Melni had to trot forward several steps to keep him from running over her. Partway to the pasture area, Tarpals let go, and Melni finally led the _kaadu_ into the meadow. The animal promptly put his head down and began to graze.  
  
"Now," Tarpals said sternly, "let go'n the rope, and yousa tell mesa what happened thiss'n morning."  
  
Melni clasped her hands together and faced him. The _Naaboo_ was shivering, but she looked him the eye as she spoke. "I came to the pasture to see if I could get one of the _falumpasets_," she explained. "But when I walked into the herd, one of them ran at me, and – and I ran away. And they chased me." Tears welled up in her eyes, and she looked down at her feet. "I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't have done that." She turned her eyes back toward him. "Are you going to make us leave?"  
  
The Gungan folded his arms and stared down at her. "Yousa always try to tekk things that's not belonging to yousa?"  
  
"No, sir." She looked away again. "But you were fighting over us, and Minister Brandes said we might have to set out on our own. So when Saché and Yané went to get the guns, I thought I could help by getting one of the _falumpasets_ to ride. Orrin made it look really easy...."  
  
"Orrin hass many seasons' practice," Tarpals told her. "An' shesa knows what shesa doing. Yousa don't. An' now yousa know what happens when yousa try doing some-att yousa don't unnerstand."  
  
"Yes, sir." She stood peering up at him.  
  
The Gungan stared down at her stonily, and Melni realized she was twisting her fingers as she waited. She knew he was angry, but Gungans didn't always have the same facial expressions as human people did. She was also very aware that they were alone here in the meadow, except for the riding animals; Rep Brandes, who had served as the children's protector since they had been taken from their parents, was elsewhere in camp.  
  
Tarpals considered. The _sprattling_ hadn't denied what she'd done, or made any excuses. And although she was obviously frightened, she was mature enough to wait for whatever punishment he gave her.  
  
For Tarpals, children had always been peripheral; unlike Kimma Nril, he'd never had any desire to leave the service to help raise _sprattlings_, leaving that to other members of his clan family. Many officers, like Ven Artil, divided their time between duty and a home life, but Tarpals's marriages had all but one been meant to strengthen ties between clans and nothing more. Perhaps not surprisingly, most of his clan's children were a bit afraid of him.  
  
However, the _Naaboo_ female before him was about the right age to start the basic military training all Gungans received. She seemed to have the self-discipline, and the courage....  
  
Tarpals jerked his head, and Melni jumped. "Wesa can't have thiss'n sort of thing happenin'," he told her. "So, my'm expecting yousa to spend time every day with Orrin and Herns, learnin' to care for these'n animals. Wesa startin' now."  
  
"Really?" An enormous grin spread across Melni's face. Then she faltered. "I, uh, I mean, yes, sir."  
  
Tarpals blinked at her. "Berry well. Come'n he-ah." He led the way to his own _kaadu_, who lifted her head, still chewing. "First, wesa gonna learn the parts of the _kaadu_'s body...."  
  
  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
  
  
Irric, lying flat on his stomach, peered under a bramble bush; he carefully eased his hand underneath to pull the grass out and look at it. The blades were just grass, however, and he moved on.  
  
Two of the _militiagungs_ were searching also, both on hands and knees. One of them was peering under a bush. "T'ink mesa gott'ns it," she said, beckoning to her companion, then turning to look at Irric. "Yousa wanna com here an' mekk sure?"  
  
The second Gungan crouched down and sniffed at the grass-like plant. "T'inkin' so." He jerked his head at Irric. "Gonna be a tight fit."  
  
"I can do it!" Irric promised, and wriggled carefully under the bush to pull at the plant's roots, scratching his hands on the bush's branches in the process. A tree limb suddenly slid in over his head and levered the branches up enough for him to tug up on the grass's roots and pull a handful free. Irric wiggled backward, prize clutched in his fist. One of the _militiagungs_ held the other end of the limb. "T'ought yousa might fin' it easier gettin' unner dere wit' the stickers out'n the way," she said mildly.  
  
"Yeah. Thanks!" Irric opened his fist and all three of them examined the grass. "I think this is it. Let's find Lieutenant Peskis and make sure!"  
  
In a cool, shaded portion of the forest not far away, Nalla sat astride a Gungan's shoulders, peering upward at the leafy vines clinging to the tree trunk's bark. The leaves she wanted would be pointed, the width of her hand, a dark green lined with white splotches that imitated speckles of sunlight. This, Peskis had warned her, would make them difficult to see. Also, the medicinal leaves looked very much like the leaves of another plant that caused itching and inflammation of the skin. Peskis had described the leaves' scent to the Gungan helping Nalla.  
  
The human squinted at the leaves. "No," she told the Gungan. "Let's find another tree." The _militiagung_ obligingly waded through the brush to the next tree, then the next, then and the next.  
  
"Wesa tryin' over dere," he said suddenly. They approached a large tree with deeply lined bark. Several different types of vines wound around the trunk. Nalla reached to touch one of the leaves, but the Gungan stepped back. "No. Yousa remember what Peskis sess," he warned. "No touchin' 'till wesa sure."  
  
"Right." Nalla studied the leaves, and then reached up and grasped one she knew wasn't poisonous and used it to pull the vines with the speckled leaves closer for inspection. "I think so. Here." She pushed the vine down the trunk; the Gungan sniffed it cautiously.  
  
"Can yousa pull some'a dem off? Wesa wrap dem in other leafs an' tekk dem to Peskis." Nalla used the safe leaf to pull some of the speckled leaves from the vine and drop them to the ground. The Gungan stooped to allow her to slide off his shoulders; still using the plain leaf in her hand, Nalla gathered the speckled leaves up by the stems.  
  
"Let's go make sure these are the right ones," she said, and the two started back toward camp.  
  
  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
  
"Pick a target," Saché instructed the tan-colored Gungan next to her. "Something fairly small."  
  
The Gungans conferred amongst themselves, and finally the tan Gungan suggested, "Clump of leafs onna leanin' tree, partway up da trunk."  
  
Saché squinted at the grey-bronze trunk of a skinny tree that was nestled against one of its fellows. "The bunch of five leaves, with the branch that's curved downward?"  
  
The Gungan nodded. Saché sighted down the barrel of the blaster. "You realize that if you miss, Captain Panaka will automatically know, wherever he is," Yané teased. "And when he gets back, he'll never let you hear the end of it."  
  
"I know. And I'll gladly listen, too, as long as he comes back alive and brings the Queen with him." Saché's finger tightened on the trigger. "I can see why your people had such a hard time using these," she remarked to the Gungans. "There's no sight on the barrel to aim it by. I don't know how the droids shoot this thing." She tilted the blaster marginally, trying to line up a shot. At last she squeezed gently, and her wrist absorbed the slight recoil as the blaster fired. The five leaves, their branch, and part of the trunk burst apart. A startled murmur ran through the Gungans; the Patrol riders looked particularly impressed. "Although with that kind of firepower, who needs finesse?" She handed the blaster to the tan Gungan, and the rest of the group gathered around to study it. She said to Yané, "Truth be told, I wish Captain Panaka were here right now, because I have only the faintest idea how to train these folks in shooting a blaster."  
  
"Well, look at the bright side," Yané said. "At least now we have enough weapons for everyone, including ourselves. And these things have a pretty wide field of fire, so the Gungans don't have to be precision shooters!"  
  
  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
  
  
Peskis stooped and entered the little shelter housing Kimma and her family. Hanar had gone for his turn at target practice, but Sen Tal sat beside his _essoin_ with Plirri on his lap. The youngster was eating pieces of fruit. Temmis was curled up asleep on his _maatra'_s other side. Zanté sat cross-legged beside Sen Tal, peeling the skin off the fruit for Plirri. All three of them looked up as Peskis entered.  
  
"I've got medicine for her," Peskis said, and crouch-walked to where Kimma lay on a leather bedroll. Sen Tal shifted his position to give him room.  
  
The female opened her eyes and turned her head slightly. "This is it?" she murmured. Peskis showed her the drinking bowl and its liquid contents.  
  
"Yes. Drink it all. It should help bring the swelling down and make it easier for you to rest."  
  
Kimma sniffed at it. "It smells terrible. That's the sure sign of a cure, isn't it?" she remarked weakly. Sen Tal handed Plirri to Zanté and stooped to slide one arm under Kimma's shoulders, helping her sit up. She took the bowl and sipped at its contents, grimacing.  
  
"It might also help if you went down to the river and found a nice, quiet pool," Peskis continued. "You would probably be more comfortable floating than lying."  
  
"It hurts too much to move right now," Kimma admitted.  
  
"Tomorrow, then."  
  
"We'll try," Sen Tal promised.  
  
Zanté sat watching solemnly. Peskis turned to her. "Gott'n job for yousa," he said in Bassic. "Yousa needs to mekk sure shesa etts little bit after shesa drinks diss'n. Den shesa gonna sleep for 'while. When shesa wakes up, yousa mekk sure shesa etts again. Unnerstand?" Zanté nodded. Then her hand moved to sign "fruit", and she held up the fruit she had been peeling. Peskis nodded. "Fruit, feesh, roots, ennyt'ing. Iff'n yousa need food, yousa ask one'a ussan."  
  
Kimma handed him back the bowl and closed her eyes, resting in Sen Tal's arms for a few minutes. Sen Tal lowered his head and nuzzled her gently. Plirri squirmed in Zanté's arms, and the girl released him. The youngster crawled over to his _maatra_ and stretched out beside her, his chin resting on her hip. Kimma opened her eyes and reached over to stroke his head. "_Maatra'_s going to be all right, Plirri," she whispered, and lay back on the ground.  
  
"Yes, she is," Peskis assured them. "She needs to get better so she can take care of her family again." He reached past Sen Tal and gently squeezed Kimma's upper arm. "You have a brave heart, _silo'in_," he said, using the word that referred to a female child of one's clan family. "It's an honor to serve with you." He patted Sen Tal on the shoulder and rose, crouching, to go to the shelter's entrance. He stopped and patted Zanté on the back. "Yousa tekk good care of dem," he told her, and stepped outside.  
  
Zanté crawled to the back of the shelter and watched as Sen Tal lay down and curled himself protectively around Kimma's head and shoulders. Plirri was still lying against her hip, and Temmis had cuddled up against her other side. Kimma opened her eyes and beckoned the _Naaboo_ girl to come closer. Zanté sat down beside Kimma's shoulder, next to Sen Tal's feet. The female Gungan reached out to take Zanté's hand.  
  
Zanté hesitated, then reached up and grasped the leather string that held the peko-peko's feather tied to her hair. She tugged it loose, then held it out to Kimma. The Gungan's large hand closed around Zanté's fingers, closing them around the feather. "Yousa kipp dat," Kimma told her. "Hevvin' yousa close iss good luck 'nough for mesa. Yousa gonna tekk care'n ussan now?"  
  
Zanté nodded and sat still, her hands clasping Kimma's. The Gungan smiled sleepily. "Mesa feelin' better already."


	12. Chapter 12

At sunset, Tarpals convened a council. Herns, Orrin, Peskis, Rell Iss, Sen Tal, Saché, Edvic, and Drind, one of the _militiagungs_, sat on the bank of the river near the pool in which Sen Tal's family had gone swimming the day before. Hela Brandes and the _Naaboo_ children were learning the sounds of night animals from one of the Patrol riders; the rest of the Gungans were relaxing and chatting amongst themselves about the _maccaneek_ weapons. Everyone else was either on watch or foraging for dinner.  
  
Brandes had cautioned Saché and Edvic before the meeting: "Try not to insult the Gungans' beliefs, especially when you talk about satellites. Remember Peskis's story about the Sky Home? Talk around it if you can."  
  
"Wesa goin' to use _Bassic_ for the meeting so's everyone kenn unnerstand," Tarpals began. He glanced at Drind, who nodded. In Gungan society, only the Patrol members were expected to be fluent in _Bassic_; the rest of the Gungans were unlikely to ever have contact with a _Naaboo_, although there was nothing to stop anyone from learning the _Naaboos'_ language if he or she chose.  
  
"Herns, tell ussan what happened yestidday at Splitrock," Tarpals ordered, and Herns described the scouting group's encounter with the _maccaneeks_, the battle at the edge of the woods, and the Gungans' subsequent escape. When Herns had finished, Tarpals turned to Saché and Edvic. "Yousa know more 'bout _maccaneeks_ then enny of ussan. Explain them, pleece."  
  
The two humans glanced at each other; Edvic turned back to the group. "The _maccaneeks_ are called 'droids' by most of us," he said. "They're machines. They're not normal living things – they're made by intelligent beings to do work for us."  
  
"Yousa can't do thiss'n work you'se'fs?" asked Orrin.  
  
"Some of it, no. At least, not easily. Some droids work in outer space, where humans would need special suits and air supplies. Some droids have enormous memories, and can remember more information than a hundred people combined." The Gungans eyed each other doubtfully. Edvic pushed ahead. "The droids in the Trade Federation army are meant to do pretty limited tasks, I think. They didn't exactly let me stand around and study them," he added. "They don't seem to have much memory capacity, and the only things I've seen them do is shoot, identify an enemy, and operate simple equipment. Most of the time they seem to need directions from the Neimoidians. By themselves, the droids really aren't very smart."  
  
"Gott'n couple liken dat in my fam'ly," Orrin remarked, and several people chuckled.  
  
"How did deysan fin' ussan yestiddy?" Herns asked. "Wass deysan waitin' for ussan at Splitrock?"  
  
"I think the Neimoidians have watcher satellites deployed," Edvic said. Seeing what he took to be blank looks on Gungan faces, he explained, "It's like having your eyes way up in the sky, and being able to see huge areas of the planet at once. If you see certain kinds of movement anywhere, you send droids to check it out."  
  
"Movement liken what?" asked Tarpals.  
  
Saché ticked the answers off on her fingers. "Any kind of mechanical vehicles that don't belong to the Trade Federation. Groups of either humans or Gungans who aren't in camps or being escorted by droids. Any activity in any area that's not controlled by the Trade Federation. They may be looking for specific people, or signs of places being inhabited. Lights. Smoke. That sort of thing."  
  
"So when wesa went out inna open yestiddy, deysa saw ussan?" asked Rell Iss, stunned. "From uppa inna sky?"  
  
"Probably," Edvic answered. "There were four of you, and no droids, and the Neimoidians probably had troops in the area, so they sent a few droids to catch you, or at least see what you were up to."  
  
"These 'sat-ill-ites'," Tarpals said. "Theysa see inna dark?"  
  
"They'll see large lights easily enough," Edvic said. "If you can travel without light, probably not." The Gungans looked at each other and nodded. "I don't know if small, hand-held lights would be seen or not. And fog or heavy cloud cover would give you protection, too."  
  
"Yousa t'ink the _maccaneeks_ iss in'trested in animals?" Herns asked suddenly.  
  
Edvic shook his head. "I doubt it. The Neimoidians are probably more interested in people right now. We're the biggest danger to their occupation."  
  
Tarpals turned a speculative gaze on Herns. "What are yousa thinkin', Corp'ral?"  
  
Herns hesitated. "T'inking 'bout the waystation," he said finally. "Deysa might'n be a way to gettin' ussan dere." He addressed his next question to Edvic. "Dese 'watchers', deysa 'way up inna sky, yiss?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"So when deysa look down, iff'n deysa see una _Guungan_ ridin' a _falumpaset_, deysa send _maccaneeks_ to look-see?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Iff'n deysa chust seein' _falumpasets_, deysa leavin' dem 'lone."  
  
"Probably."  
  
Herns made a thoughtful sound. "Mesa work wit' _falumpasets_ all'n the time wit' th'artillary," he explained. "Deysa big, strong. Also herd animals – deysa follow each other. What iff'n wesa tekk dem out inna open wit' ussan ridin' unnerneath, instead of on top?"  
  
"Kenn yousa do dat?" asked Drind.  
  
"Yiss," Sen Tal spoke up, "mesa t'ink yousa can. Wesa would be needin' a way to tie ussan unnerneath, an' steer dem, but mesa s'pect iss possible."  
  
"T'ree of ussan ride to Splitrock wit' _falumpasets_," Herns suggested. "Iff'n wesa got fog, iss fine. Iff'n not, wesa got dis other idee. Wesa get da supplies, pack as much'n as wesa kenn while wesa unnerground, an' ride bekk."  
  
"Keep one thing in mind," Saché said. "The droids have seen you near Splitrock once already. If they see you again, they're likely to send more troops, and maybe larger weapons after you."  
  
"Liken the big t'ings deysa wass usin' to move yousan an' the _sprattlings_?" Tarpals asked.  
  
"Yes. Those things are called 'tanks', by the way."  
  
"How many yousa think theysa send?"  
  
Saché thought for a moment. "I'd guess it would depend on how large a group of you there are. If there are just a few, they'll probably just send droids. If it seems like a large group, they might send a tank." She peered at him shrewdly. "Why?"  
  
Tarpals gaze was fixed on the ground by Orrin's feet; then he looked up and gestured at the human male. "Edvic, hesa sess the _maccaneeks_, theysa look for _Naaboo_ and _Guungans_ iff'n wesa not being h'escorted by _maccaneeks_. Mesa thinkin' wesa might'n be wantin' to get oursan selfs an h'escort."  
  
Jaws dropped all around the circle. "Yousa wantin' ussan to go an' get tekked by the _maccaneeks_?" Drind said finally.  
  
Tarpals looked up; even in the fading twilight Saché thought she saw a light in his eyes. "No. Chust wantin' it to look liken that."  
  
"Sir?" said Orrin, sounding puzzled.  
  
Tarpals held up a hand. "Wantin' time to think bout'n this. Needin' time to mekk sure Kimma Nril's ready to travel. Wesa talk more 'bout thiss'n tomorrow."  
  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
  
Morning brought mist and some new assignments. Every able-body adult, including Hela Brandes, was to continue target practice. The children were to forage, practice their hiding, and be ready to carry instructions to various people. Rell Iss was to take a group back to the place where the scouts had fought the _maccaneeks_ inside the cover of the forest.  
  
Herns was ordered to inspect the _falumpasets_ after their night's rest to be sure they were ready to travel; he was less pleased to learn that he was expected to teach Melni, Saché and Yané to work with them as well. As a precaution, Tarpals assigned Orrin to perform a similar inspection of the _kaadu_, insuring a friendly presence in the pasture.  
  
Irritated, Herns began with the basic parts of the _falumpaset's_ body, many of which were the same as the parts of a _kaadu_'s anatomy. Melni quickly picked up on that.  
  
"Diss'n?"  
  
"Withers."  
  
"An' dis?"  
  
"Hock."  
  
"Diss'n?"  
  
"Flank."  
  
Somewhat mollified, Herns showed them the bristle-pods that could be harvested and used as currycombs, and the five of them brushed the _falumpaset_'s coats. "Wild _falumpasets_, deysa gott'n long-o fur 'round dersan h'ankles," Herns explained. Behind him, Orrin made the hand-sign for 'talk'. Then she repeated it several times, indicating that Herns talked a little _too_ much. Yané bit her lip to keep from laughing. Melni, focused on the lecture, missed the gesture completely.  
  
"Why do your _falumpasets_ have short hair there?" she asked  
  
"Wesa cut dat off," Herns said. "Chust gets tangled. Inna wild, da fur protec's dere legs from brambles an' leetle h'animals called _nyorks. Nyorks_ live'n inna pools, an' deysa nip iff'n deysa startled."  
  
As Saché and Yané continued grooming one animal and Orrin a second, Herns moved around behind the third. "You're not supposed to do that," Melni warned. "He'll kick you!"  
  
"Not iff'n hesa knows mesa here," Herns said, a note of amusement in his voice. The two Handmaidens exchanged startled glances. The idea that Herns might actually have a pleasant side to his personality was a revelation.  
  
"He-ah, look at diss'n," Herns instructed, and Melni cautiously moved to where she could see. The Gungan put his back against the _falumpaset_'s knee, grasped the creature's ankle, and clucked to it. The _falumpaset_ lifted its hoof, and Herns braced it against his leg. The _falumpaset_ stood placidly, tail swishing. "Yousa always wanna check he-ah," Herns said. He indicated the inside of the _falumpaset_'s hoof. "Deysa sometimes pickin' h'up stones, or gett'n dirt packed in dere. Always wanna clean diss'n out. Iff'n the _falumpaset_'s hoofs get damaged, the h'animal can't walk right."  
  
"Gualaras have the same problem," Yané ventured a comment. "You have to clean their hooves every day."  
  
"Yiss. Feet iss berry important to runnin' beasts," Herns agreed.  
  
After the grooming, they turned the animals loose to feed and began learning the parts of the tack, both saddle and bridle. Here Yané and Saché had the advantage; they'd learned similar terms during riding lessons. Orrin moved away to greet a pair of Patrol riders who had wandered into the pasture area to check their own animals.  
  
"Now wesa gonna tack h'up da _falumpasets_," Herns announced. He approached one of the animals and demonstrated the method of putting on the _falumpaset_'s bridle. "Yousa gonna need to get one'a da others."  
  
Melni looked up at the animal's head, which was well out of her reach. "How?"  
  
"Yousa gonna go out inna the herd an' call una dem."  
  
Melni blanched. "The last time I tried that, the biggest one tried to stomp on me!"  
  
"That seems like rather a lot to ask of her," Yané protested.  
  
Herns shook his head. "Iff'n yousa 'spect to work wit' dem, yousa gotta earn da h'animal's ris-pect," he warned her. "Da _falumpaset_, hesa gonna test yousa. Hesa gott'n no use for cow-ards. Iff'n hesa see'n yousa 'fraid, hesa won' work for yousa. Unnerstand?"  
  
Melni licked her lips nervously and stared down at the bridle in her hands. _Grandpa didn't run away, she told herself. Even when the droids took everyone, and the Queen disappeared. He wouldn't run away now._ She squared her shoulders and stared back at the Gungan. "Yes. He's – he's going to run at me again, right?"  
  
"Yiss. Want to mekk sure yousa worth carryin'," Herns told her. "Iff'n yousa stand h'up to hims, hesa ris-pect yousa. Otherwise, hesa t'hinks yousa not worth the h'effort."  
  
Melni nodded. "All right," she said, and Herns stepped back a few paces.  
  
She stood scanning the herd. The largest _falumpaset_ stood grazing off to one side this time. He lifted his head, still chewing, and turned to look at the knot of humans. His gaze seemed to shift to Melni; the girl set her jaw and stared at him, trying to work up a fierce expression. The _falumpaset_ snorted and lowered his head to the grass.  
  
Melni jumped as Herns touched her shoulder. "Diss'n way." They circle the herd at a respectful distance. As they passed, the _kaadu_ glanced up, many of them straightening to watch their progress. By the time Melni and Herns had neared the _falumpaset_, most of the _kaadu_, as well as the Gungans, seemed to be watching the human girl.  
  
"Now, yousa jiggle the harness, liken diss," Herns instructed, reaching down to shake the harness in Melni's hands. Parts of the harness clinked, and the _falumpaset_'s ears flicked up in response. "An' call to himsa." Herns made a clucking sound. The _falumpaset_'s head lifted. "G'wan, yousa do it."  
  
Melni shook the harness again and made several tsk noises. _If we were home, that would be Mother telling me I was doing something wrong,_ Melni reflected. The _falumpaset_'s head came up and he turned toward them. Melni clucked again. The _falumpaset_ shook his head in warning.  
  
"Walk toward himsa," Herns told her. Resolute, Melni managed a step forward. The _falumpaset_ snorted and pawed the ground. Melni stepped forward again, and the animal bellowed. The _kaadu_ minced away, leaving the _falumpaset_ in an open space. Melni stopped. She shook the harness and clucked.  
  
The _falumpaset_ bugled and shook its head; Melni hesitated. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of Orrin and the other two riders circling the herd to gather behind Herns, cutting off her retreat route. "G'wan," Orrin called. "Don' let himsa scare yousa. Wesa all right'n he-ah."  
  
Melni glanced over her shoulder; the Gungans had positioned themselves behind Herns, waiting. She turned back to the _falumpaset_ – and the animal bellowed again, put its head down, and charged.  
  
Gasping, she clutched the bridle. _Don't move, don't move, don't move...._ She clenched her teeth, eyes half-closing reflexively as she waited, expecting the animal to trample her.  
  
At the last moment, the _falumpaset_ skidded to a halt, so close she feel his breath. The animal flung his head up and bugled again, rearing onto his hind legs. The front feet slammed into the ground to Melni's right; the _falumpaset_ bucked, then settled, panting. It shook its head again, then lowered its neck to snort and sniff her. Melni's fingers seemed glued to the bridle; she finally managed to unclench one hand and cautiously patted the _falumpaset_ on its broad, ugly nose. The animal lowered its head to nudge her, and then turned away.  
  
Behind her she could hear chuckles and whistles from the riders. When she turned to look at them, three were grinning or smiling at her; Herns gave her a nod, an approving look on his face. "Jiggle that'n 'gain, and wesa put it on himsa, den." Melni turned back and jiggled the harness. This time the _falumpaset_ nuzzled her and stood still, head down. Herns strode forward to show her how to hold the bridle open and slide it over the animal's head, then fasten it in place. He slapped the _falumpaset_'s neck several times. Then he held the reins out to Melni. "He-ah. Less tekk him to camp an show ever'one, yiss?"  
  
Melni grinned. "Yes!"  
  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
  
Rell Iss's scouts halted near the edge of the forest. The three riders and their one passenger scanned the surrounding forest with ears and eyes for signs of the _maccaneeks_, but the only sounds were the calls of various forest creatures, and nothing moved amid the trees and growth of the woodlands. At last Peskis signaled an "all clear", and Rell Iss urged his _kaadu_ forward, peering at the ground for the remains of the _maccaneek_ that they had left behind.  
  
"This is the one Kimma Nril tackled?" Edvic asked, staring at the twisted remains of the droid.  
  
Rell Iss nodded. "Shesa jumped it from uppa dere." He pointed to the sturdy branch above them.  
  
Edvic's eyes traveled from the ground to the branch and back to the pile of shattered metal. "I never, _ever_ want her angry at me," he remarked.  
  
"Mesa neither," Rell Iss assured him solemnly.  
  
The teen slid awkwardly down the crouching _kaadu_'s leg, and all but sprawled on the ground. Rell Iss followed more gracefully, and the other two Gungans dismounted as well. Edvic began searching the ground while Rell Iss scooped up the droid's blaster. "Don' why deysa di'n't come an' pick any of diss'n h'up," he remarked thoughtfully.  
  
Edvic glanced at the droid. "There's not much left. And it's not like the Trade Federation doesn't have a lot more where that came from." He pushed the low-growing plants back and forth with one foot. "It's got to be here.... Ha!" He stooped suddenly and grabbed something with both hands. "Let's see what shape it's in...." He lifted a thin metal contraption – the droid's flying transport.  
  
"Yousa think yousa gettin' dat to work?" Peskis asked.  
  
"I hope so." Edvic propped the transport up against a tree and studied the controls. "If it's not too badly damaged, and I can figure out the controls." He bent down. "Feet go here," he muttered, pressing one of the slanted pedals on the bottom platform. "But they're fixed, so they're not acceleration pedals...." He turned his attention to the handles, thin tubes of metal attached to the laser platform near the top of the transport. "One for each hand...." He clutched the two handles and twisted. Nothing happened. "Needs to be on, probably." His fingers touched the buttons on the control panel. "Let's try this." The machine suddenly coughed and hummed to life, rising as it did so. It hovered just above the ground. Edvic grinned. "Sterling!"  
  
He stepped onto the transport's lower platform. "This thing sure wasn't designed for a human," he remarked. The foot pedals held his feet at an awkward angle, causing his legs to bow backward. "If we can get those to lower, it'd be a lot easier to stand on this thing." He grasped the handles and gently rolled the handgrips forward. The platform accelerated forward – and promptly bumped against the tree trunk.  
  
Edvic blushed. "Oops." He turned the handles to one side, and the transport slid to the right. "Okay! Steers right, and left –" he pushed the handles to the left, and the transport circled the tree "—and forward. Now...." He eased the handgrips back into their original position, and the transport hovered. "Okay. Up?" He pushed the handlebars up, and the transport rose. "And down." The transport bounced off the ground.  
  
"Yousa get it to shoot?" asked Rell Iss.  
  
"I'm working on it, okay?" Edvic looked back at the controls. "Let's try this." He thumbed the small lever on the handles just above the handgrips, and twin bolts of blaster fire ignited the brush in front of him. The _kaadu_ honked and strained at their reins. Rell Iss grabbed his _kaadu_'s bridle and glared at Edvic.  
  
"Yousa wanna watch where yousa pointin' dat!"  
  
"Don't complain. At least it works. Now I wish we'd thought to pick up some of these when your patrol rescued us," Edvic remarked.  
  
"Wesa wass a bit busy," Peskis reminded him. "An' diss'n better den havin' none a'tall."  
  
The riders spent several minutes calming their animals and finally mounted, after strapping the transport to the back of Peskis's saddle. Edvic had wanted to ride the transport back to camp, but had thought the better of it when he looked at the fuel cell gauge. "If we're going to use this later, there's no point in wasting the fuel," he had remarked. After a quick look at the open grasslands, where they saw no sign of droid activity, the party set off for camp.  
  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
  
"Captain, do you have a minute?"  
  
Tarpals eyed Brandes, puzzled. He wasn't sure what a minute was, but given the group's lack of supplies, he doubted he had such a thing.  
  
"I wanted to talk to you," she continued. "About going to Tendesay."  
  
"My'm 'specting to start out tomorrow or the next day," Tarpals said. Over her shoulder he could see two of the _sprattlings_ pulling blossoms off stalks in the light-speckled forest clearing. They had already amassed a small pile of them.  
  
"It's just that I'm not sure it's such a good idea any more, given what happened to your scouts," Brandes said. She clasped her hands together in front of her. "Your people were attacked once they left the shelter of the woods. Kimma came back injured, although Temmis said she seems much better this afternoon. Apparently it's a full day's journey, perhaps more, across open fields to Tendesay, and I'm afraid humans don't see well in the dark. We'd have a very difficult time traveling that distance after nightfall."  
  
"Mesa thinkin' wesa try it inna daylight," Tarpals told her.  
  
"That just sounds more dangerous than I'm willing to risk," she responded. "Your people have put themselves in enough danger for us. Would it be possible to ask for sanctuary wherever you planned to go after you dropped us off?"  
  
"Mesa don't think so," Tarpals said. "Yousa remember some'a oursan riders resentin' yousan? Lott'n oursan people feelin' that way, 'specially since diss'n invasion started. Not sure oursan people would 'llow yousan to stay in Sacred Place."  
  
"Surely they wouldn't turn the children away?" Brandes asked. "_You_ agreed to take us in."  
  
Tarpals wasn't about to tell her how close he'd been to leaving them behind. "Mesa can't spake for the rest'n ussan," he told her. "Yousa safer in Tendesay, iff'n wesa can get there." He held up a hand to forestall any more arguments. "Diss'n not chust about getting' yousa to Tendesay. Iss about findin' out 'bout the _maccaneeks_. Wesa needs'a know how to fight thems, where theysa strong or weak. Wesa learned some from the first attack, an' some from our scouts yestiddy. The more wesa know, the better wesa defend oursan selfs. But mesa gott'n second plan for tomorrow, iff'n wesa fail. My'm leaving a couple of rider with yousan. Iff'n wesa don't come bekk, theysa tekk yousan to the Sacred Place, an' ask the Bosses to 'llow yousan to stay. That's the best my can do for now."


	13. Chapter 13

At sunset, those not on watch gathered in the center of camp. Kimma Nril, walking stiffly and with the help of both her _essoans_, managed to join the group, and for several minutes was the center of a swirl of curiosity and admiration. She sat propped up against a tree, exchanging greetings with most of the riders. The swelling in her stomach, chest and arms had subsided enough to allow her to move with some assistance, and she had managed to eat a sizeable meal late in the afternoon. Along with the food had come a mound of flowers, courtesy of Arlan, Nalla and Irric.  
  
"Wantin' to thank yousan for all'n the flowers," she said to Brandes. "Wesan all 'ppreciated dem."  
  
"'Specially Plirri," Temmis added. Plirra had happily eaten many of the blooms after the humans had gone.  
  
"You always take flowers to people when they don't feel well," Nalla explained.  
  
"Iss a nice custom," Kimma said. "Berry kind of yousan."  
  
Peskis, looking for all the world as though he had spent the day lounging in camp instead of riding to the edge of the forest and back, stepped in front of Kimma and her family.  
  
"For the story tonight, wesa needin ever'one settin' in together," he began, motioning to get everyone's attention. "Yousa all gonna wanta get close for thiss'n." Gungans and humans eyed each other carefully. Temmis caught Zanté's sleeve with one hand, and Plirri's hand with the other. "Sett'n he-ah. Wesa right uppa front." All three of the children took seats in front of Kimma, Sen Tal and Hanar.  
  
Hela Brandes gathered the rest of the children around her. "Come on. You've all been pestering me about hearing stories again, so let's go." They settled in a group beside Temmis, Zanté and Plirri.  
  
The off-duty patrol members settled into a ring around the center group, including the humans in their circle. Peskis beamed at them, and began his story.  
  
"Long, long 'go, inna days when de gods walked the world, dere wass monsters inna land. An' one'a the fiercest monsters wuss Naa'a'orrek, Hungry Monster. He wuss always lookin' for some-att to ett. Hesa ett any'ting — _kaadu‚ ikopi‚_ even _nar-gletch_ an' _zalaacas_. But one day hesa decided hesa hungry for _Guungan_ – oursan people. So hesa went looking for a village.  
  
"In dose days, wesa didn't live inna homes unner water. Wesa lived 'bove inna swamps an' forests. Naa'a'orrek, hesa kemm to a village and watched fromma distance. Hesa watched the _Guungans_ commen and goin', seein' who went huntin' and fishin' and who stayed close to home."  
  
The Gungans sat with their attention fixed on Peskis's face. Plirri wriggled, then climbed into Sen Tal's lap. Temmis sat a little apart from his parents, leaning toward Zanté, whose posture mirrored his.  
  
"Naa'a'orrek, hesa knew iff'n the _Guungans_ saw himsa desya would gather dersa warriors and chase himsa, mebbe kill himsa. So hesa waited 'til he could catch a _Guungan_ 'lone. Hesa finally caught one _Guungan_ fishin' and medd a meal of himsa.  
  
"Forra while, ever'one chust thought that the fisher hedd been drowned, but den Naa'a'orrek caught one'a da hunters, and den another. By den, some'a da _Guungans_ hedd see hiss'n tracks, an' deysa knew all'n dem wass in danger."  
  
Nalla huddled against Hela Brandes and whispered, "I don't like this story."  
  
Peskis paused; he had evidently caught the young _Naaboo's_ comment. He bent down. "Don' worry," he told her in a stage whisper. "Wesa 'bout to meet the little girl whosa gonna save ever'one. Yousa wait." He offered her a wink and straightened.  
  
"The elders, deysa argued 'bout whatten to do 'bout da monster. 'Wesa needin' go find a new place an mekk a new village dere,' one said. But others sedd, 'No, the monster, hesa already knows where wesa is, an' when wesa head out to a new place, hesa follow and eat ussan one to a time.' Denn 'nother sedd, 'Wesa needin' to get alla the warriors together, go into the woods and finish da monster.' But den someone else sedd dat with the warriors out searchin' for Naa'a'orrek, the monster could come into the village and ett ever'one left. An' ever'one kept arguing 'bout what to do.  
  
"Den a little female stood up an sedd, "Mesa gotten an idee. Wesa all go up to da mountains, and wesa diggin' a big hole inna ground, an cover it wit' branches and leafs. When Naa'a'orrek comes to find ussan, hesa fall into the hole and den wesa finish him!"  
  
Here Peskis paused, grinning. "Outten the mouths of _sprattlings_, eh? So, the villagers, deysa gathered up deresa t'ings and walked to the mountains. Deysa hedd a few days head start, 'cause Naa'a'orrek‚ hesa sleepin' after his last meal. In da mountains the people dug a big, deep hole, an' covered it, an' waited.  
  
"When Naa'a'orrek woke up an' found ever'one gone, hesa sett out after dem. Hesa followed dere scent up into mountains. The _Guungans_, desa all hid inna caves and cracks. Naa'a'orrek‚ sniffed an' stalked, an' finally followed the scent to the pit. Hesa stood onna edge, sniffing and looking, but wouldn't tekk one more step.  
  
"Den the little female ran up behind him. Shesa wuss on'y up to hiss knee, but shesa kicked him inna ankle. Naa'a'orrek, hesa yelled and jumped -- and kemm right down into the pit.  
  
"All'n the _Guungans_ kem running to see the monster. Naa'a'orrek lay in the bottom of the pit, not quite dead. Hesa looked up at the _Guungans_‚ 'bove him, an hesa vowed, 'Mesa gonna come back and ett all'n yousa. Mesa not finished yet!' Wit dat hesa shattered into lotts an' lotts of tiny pieces and wuss gone. The _Guungans_‚ deysa happy and celebrated, glad to be rid of da monster. The days passed, an' ever'one‚ went back to what theysa allus did. Forra while."  
  
Peskis held up his hands; a loop of thin vine was draped between his thumbs. "Some time after dat, dere wuss an elder mekkin' a net. Shesa wove her vine back an' forth, back an' forth." The Gungan's hands moved with his words. "Shesa heard a buzzin' sound. Shesa looked —" his hands stilled "-- but shesa saw nuthin', so shesa went on." His hands moved again, this time draping the vine behind the fingers of his left hand. "Back an' forth, back an' forth." As his hands moved, his fingers deftly picked up parts of the vine, which began to form a shape. "Shesa heard the buzzin' 'gain, but still saw nuthin'. So shesa kept goin." The vine was now looped around both thumbs and the smallest fingers of both hands. "Suddenly, shesa stopped." His hands froze in place. "Shesa looked close at hersa net." Peskis peered at the loops of vine around his fingers, as if surprised to see them there. The Gungan and human children followed his gaze. The Gungan's hands drew apart and the vine suddenly spreading into four loops, one each about his thumbs and smallest fingers. "An' dere, on her net wuss the biggest bug shesa hedd ever seen."  
  
Peskis's fingers suddenly fluttered, causing the loops to "fly" like an insect, and he stepped forward to fly the bug around the faces of the children, human and Gungan alike. It flew ever'where, in hersa ears –" here the vine tickled a Gungan child's _haillu_ "-- an over hersa nose – " here a human boy laughed and almost fell over backward as the "bug" brushed his nose "-- an just medd a nusance of iss'se'f." Peskis' bug‚ suddenly lunged into Herns's face, fluttering just shy of actually touching the Gungan.  
  
Herns scowled. "That thing's going to become an evening snack, Storyteller!" he warned in High Gungan.  
  
Peskis laughed and pranced back a couple of paces. "No, no, too quick!" he sang, still speaking _Bassic_. He resumed his place in front of the group, his hands still moving to "fly" the bug.  
  
"The elder, shesa knew speed couldn't catch dis bug, so shesa waited." The frantic motion of his hands and the bug slowed. "Shesa waited, an' waited, hersa hands 'part, ready...." His own hands slowed until the "bug" was hovering just in front of his own nose. By now, humans and Gungans were leaning forward, eyes on the storyteller's hands. "And den, smack!" His hands cracked together in a clap, and everyone jumped. "The bug wuss gone." He opened his hands to reveal only a single long loop of vine around his thumbs.  
  
For a moment there was surprised silence. Then the children laughed, the humans applauding. "Tell that one again!" Arlan said, and Peskis smiled.  
  
"Wesa tell dat one gain 'nother night, eh? Let mesa finish diss 'un.  
  
"More an' more of the _Guungans_ saw dese bugs. The bugs, desa kemm every evenin' and mornin' and deysa bit -- bit the _Guungans_, bit the _kaadu_‚ bit the _zalaccas_, an' the _nar-gletch_ and all the other animals. Da bugs, deysa all looked like the little bits that Naa'a'orrek had exploded into when hesa fell into the pit. An' the people knew, Naa'a'orrek hedd kept his vow -- hesa kemm back to ett all ussan one bite atta time. But the _Guungans_‚ wesa found ways to get back. Wesa gotten the t'ick skin, an' the _haillu_ to protect oursan se'fs‚ and coursen wesa all know what to do wit' bugs...." Peskis and the rest of the Gungans grinned suddenly and licked their lips.  
  
"Bugs, desa good to etten, too!" the youngest Gungan squeaked, and the rest laughed.  
  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
  
Kimma Nril, still aching from her injuries, left the storytelling and slowly made her way to her family's shelter, assisted by her _essoans_ and children. Once there, she and Sen Tal crawled inside while Hanar stopped for one last nuzzle with each of the two Gungan _sprattlings_ before going off to sentry duty. He reached down to pat Zanté on the head; the girl solemnly held up both arms to indicate she wanted a hug as well. Hanar obliged, rubbing his muzzle against her cheek, and departed.  
  
Sen Tal sat down with his back against one of the saplings that formed the shell of the hut; Kimma stretched out carefully and settled onto her side, her head pillowed in his lap.  
  
"You seem much better," Sen Tal remarked, watching as Temmis and Plirri wriggled out of tunics and hung them up on convenient nubs on the saplings. Zanté was slowly pulling a long woven shirt over her head; once she was covered, she slipped out of the rest of her clothes, which she folded more or less neatly and laid in a pile.  
  
"I feel much better," Kimma said. "But I'm glad Lieutenant Peskis brought some _dara_-leaves to chew for the pain – I still ache." Plirri was tugging at the hem of Zanté's shirt, and the girl pulled away. "Plirri, leave her alone and come lie down." The youngest child scuttled over to his mother and sat down. "Does she always insist on being covered up like that?"  
  
"Except when she's bathing," Sen Tal replied. "Rep Brand-ess says that's normal for _Naaboo_, though."  
  
Zanté, who, unlike the Gungans, couldn't see in the dim light, stumbled across the floor to Kimma and sat down next to Plirri. Kimma stroked the girl's hair, and Zanté lay down beside her. Plirri flopped down next to the _Naaboo_, yawning; he nestled against the girl's stomach. Kimma Nril smiled fondly at the _Naaboo_ as the girl curled up around Plirri.  
  
"_Maatra_, can we keep her?" Temmis asked hopefully. He was standing beside Sen Tal. His _patraa_ patted him on the head.  
  
"Temmis, she's not a _blarth_," he replied. You can't have her as a pet."  
  
"I know. But she likes us, doesn't she? We could be her family."  
  
"She probably already has a family," his _maatra_ said. "I'm sure they'll want her back. They must miss her very much, the same way we would miss you if the _maccaneeks _took you away from us."  
  
Temmis sighed and settled himself on the ground beside Zanté. His _maatra_ and her first _essoan_ curled protectively around the children; the adults' heads rested on each other's knees and their bodies formed a circle around the youngsters. "We'll take care of her as long as she's with us, Temmis," his maatra told him. "And after we've found the _Naaboo_ at Tendesay, we'll see. If she doesn't have a family any more, we'll make her part of ours."  
  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
  
Fog shrouded the grasslands the following morning as five large shadowy figures moved out of the trees and into the meadow. Two of the figures moved on four legs, the other three on two. All halted at the edge of the grasslands, and a single figure mounted on one of the four-legged shadows raised an arm and gestured.  
  
_Ride uphill_, the figure signed to the rest of the group. _Move quick_.  
  
The group set off at a trot – each rider knew it would take a good part of the morning to reach Splitrock's lake, and none wanted to be out in the open when the fog lifted.  
  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
  
A few hours later, a larger group halted a _cesta_'s cast inside the forest; none of the members could see the fields from where they sat astride their animals. Tarpals's pale grey hide blended with the fog; only his uniform was visible from more than a few paces away. "Everyone in the attack party, move to the edge of the grasslands and wait," he ordered in High Gungan. "Once we're in the open, _chesna-recorr_ only." The riders moved forward, and Tarpals twisted in the saddle to face Hela Brandes and the two Handmaidens, mounted on the remaining _falumpaset_, and the six riders remaining behind. Sen Tal, Hanar, and Kimma occupied three of the saddles, each with a child behind them. Vlenka and two of the _militiagungs_ sat astride the other three _kaadu_; each of them shared the saddle with a child as well. The animals were nervously watching the last member of the party, who was hovering on a droid transport platform off to one side. Edvic had insisted he could ride the STAP despite the uncomfortable footrests. Considering the lack of available riding animals, Tarpals had agreed.  
  
"Stay he-ah," he told them in Bassic. "Iff'n wesa don' return, Vlenka will tekk yousan somewhere safe with oursan people."  
  
Tarpals called Vlenka aside. "If we're not back by tomorrow morning, then assume our plan has failed. Take the others to the Sacred Place by whatever route you can find. Keep the _Naaboo_ out of the Sacred Place, and send someone to fetch Shrine Keeper Treece Vitay. She should have arrived by now. If anyone can convince the Shrine Keepers and Generals to give the _Naaboo_ sanctuary, she can. Beyond that, use your best judgment."  
  
"Yes, Captain. Good luck, sir."  
  
_We'll need it_, Tarpals mused grimly as he rode forward to join the rest of his party. The fog in the meadow was beginning to lift. With luck, the five advance scouts had reached Splitrock's waystation safely and were loading their supplies. With luck, Tarpals's group would be most of the way to the lake before the _maccaneeks_ noticed them. (Admittedly, with even more luck the _maccaneeks_ had moved completely out of the area and the whole plan would prove unnecessary, but he wasn't counting on quite _that_ much luck.)  
  
Peskis guided his _kaadu_ to trot alongside Tarpals's. "You seem pensive this morning, Captain," Peskis remarked cheerfully.  
  
"I'd prefer 'reserved', but I suppose it looks the same," Tarpals replied. "I have been reviewing our options, should this plan fail, and they are becoming rather few."  
  
"Then this would be a good time to ask the gods to grant us success," Peskis suggested.  
  
"I'd feel as though I'm asking for the impossible."  
  
A smile twitched the side of the Ankuran's mouth. "It never hurts to ask for the impossible, Captain. You might just get it."  
  
Tarpals turned to peer at his riding companion. "Have you ever aspired to be a Shrine Keeper, Lieutenant?"  
  
"Me? Hardly." Peskis waved a hand carelessly. "Believe me, sir, there are many people much more religiously inclined than I." He paused for a few moments. "After all, you are the commander who, as a young soldier, bypassed the standard rite of passage for officers by taming and riding a _zalaaca_, which hadn't been done successfully in years."  
  
Tarpals grimaced. "Does _everyone_ know that story?"  
  
"I believe Orrin chose to enlighten a few of us with it."  
  
"Orrin really needs to learn when to keep her mouth shut," Tarpals grumbled.  
  
Peskis smiled. "Perhaps. But I noticed that both the _Naaboo_ and the _militiagungs_ were most impressed by the tale. I suspect that's one of the reasons they've agreed to follow you. This is a pretty bold move, after all – taking on _maccaneeks_ with a divided force and few weapons."  
  
"The difference is it's not just my neck being risked this time."  
  
"No one succeeds without risk. And you're right – our people need all the information about the _maccaneeks_ we can get if we're going to defeat them. Even if it means getting that information by cooperating with the _Naaboo_."  
  
Tarpals gazed around at the Gungans riding through the meadow. Satisfied with their formation, he said, "I've noticed you've been in favor of it since this entire journey started."  
  
Peskis smiled. "Yes, I have. I've been in favor of it since the beginning." He inclined his head politely. "If you'll excuse me, sir, I believe it's my turn to ride point." With that, he urged his mount forward and took up the lead position.


	14. Chapter 14

The fog was gone and the sun warmed the meadow as the group reached the Splitrock lake. "Let's water the animals and see what happens," Tarpals told them, and the Gungans rode their kaadu into the lake, letting the animals drink and forage among the plants. Tarpals himself rode his mount at a walk along the bank, until he reached the hilly side of the lake. Beyond and to his right, the hills sloped upward; another day's ride would take them to Tendesay. Hidden beneath this hill was the Splitrock waystation. The water beside him was choked with broad-leaved plants, punctuated by broken stalks. They grew mostly in waist-deep still water, which Tarpals's ancestors had discovered made the plants perfect camouflage for an amphibious race whose _haillu_ closely resembled the leaves. A pair of the plant stalks seemed to blink, and a rust-colored Gungan face rose out of the water. Grinning, Herns extended an arm, the rest of his body remaining under water, and held out a carrying sack full of _buumas_.  
  
"Mission accomplished," Herns stated. "We've chosen mostly small arms, personal shields, some food, and clothing. We've packed up what we think we can use, and we'll start bringing it out."  
  
"Make sure all of you remain completely submerged. I'll alert the others," Tarpals replied. Herns nodded and slid back under the water, vanishing among the wide-leaved water plants. Tarpals returned to his party. Now and then, ripples in the lake heralded the passing of one of the advance scouts, who silently glided along the lake bottom and left behind carrying slings of _buumas_ floating near the shore. Pretending to forage for food, the Gungans anchored the slings to the stalks of floating plants, and waited.  
  
"Company," called a Patrol member; heads turned toward the open fields in the direction of Tendesay. Four tiny shapes were zooming toward them over the grass. Gliding swiftly behind them were two of the _maccaneek tahnks_.  
  
"This is it. Everyone stay calm, and don't make any threatening moves unless they fire first," Tarpals warned.  
  
The first pair of droids reached them minutes later and hovered before Tarpals, who was the only member of the party still mounted. "You are prisoners of the Trade Federation," the droid informed him. "Put down your weapons and surrender."  
  
The Gungan leaned forward to rest his arms on the saddle horn. "Wesa gott'n no weapons," he told the droid. "Renn out'n them couple days ago."  
  
"Dismount," the droid ordered. By now its companions had joined it. "All of you gather and sit down in the grass, hands on your heads." The droid did something to the console on its vehicle, and a few moments later, a blue, shadowy outline of a being in robes appeared. "Viceroy," the droid intoned, "we have captured a group of primitives at the mountain lake where the patrol discovered others two days ago." Several of the Gungans either bristled or snorted at the word "primitive". "What are your orders?"  
  
"Bring them in for questioning," the figure answered in a low voice. "We need to know where the rest of their race is. Call a transport to carry them."  
  
The droid signed off. By now the Gungans had settled themselves in the grass, hands clasped about the backs of their heads. The sun continued to rise, and breezes rippled the meadow grass. The droids said nothing to their prisoners. Those driving the tanks opened the top and front of their vehicles and pointed their hand-held weapons at the prisoners.  
  
Eventually, a long, low vehicle appeared over the crest of the furthest hill. The lead droid motioned to the Gungans. "Stand up. You will enter the transport in an orderly fashion."  
  
"What 'about oursan riding animals?" Tarpals asked. "Wesa can't chust leave them he-ah."  
  
"They are no concern of mine," the droid replied. "We have no use for them. They will be left behind."  
  
"Wesa needs to tekk off'n dere tack," Peskis insisted. "Dat way, least'n deysa bein' able to tekk care'n demse'fs wit'out gettin' tangled h'up."  
  
"The animals are no concern of mine," the droid repeated. "All of you get into the transport."  
  
"Wrong answer," Tarpals remarked, and, arching his neck, whistled. The rest of the patrol riders did the same.  
  
With a bellowing "mmmrrraaaaaawwwww!", Tarpals's _kaadu_ surged forward, jostling two of the droids. Close on her heels thundered the rest of the herd. The Gungans scattered; several dove for the carrying slings hidden in the lake. Others sprang forward to snatch weapons from _maccaneek_ hands. The remaining droid weaponry lowered and aimed. The hatches on the two tanks began to slide closed.  
  
Herns and Orrin reared up out of the lake just steps from shore; both clutched the edges of a carrying net containing an _irduul-buuma_, the largest energy spheres that could be thrown by hand. Both riders flung the net forward into the rear of the nearest tank. The back of the vehicle exploded, the door shattered. Orrin plunged up the bank and into the vehicle; Herns dove to his left back into the water. Two of the other scouts emerged a few moments later, a second _irduul-buuma_ between them.  
  
Tarpals sprang onto the wide base of the disable tank, and, from one side, reached into the hatch and yanked the droid driver out by the arm. He tore the droid's gun away, then slammed the _maccaneek_ into the side of the tank until pieces of arms and legs flew. A second droid's head come sailing out of the open top hatch, followed by various other pieces; a moment later, Orrin appeared in the opening and began firing at the remaining droids.  
  
At the lake's edge, half a dozen Patrol riders had activated the oval frames that provided a shield against the droid weaponry. Behind them, four more Gungans were pelting the _maccaneeks_ with _buumas_, rocks, and _cestas_.  
  
"The second _tahnk_, Captain!" Peskis shouted suddenly. The tank's guns were swiveling toward the knot of Gungans in the lake. The front hatch had closed completely; the top hatch was nearly closed.  
  
Herns and his companion hurled the second _irduul-buuma_ against the front of the tank. The vehicle shuddered; one of the side guns fell silent. Tarpals clamped his confiscated weapon in his teeth, scrambled up the handholds and leaped for the second tank. He landed on the top rim and spat the droid gun into the rapidly closing opening under the top hatch. The gun crunched, but held.  
  
"Now!" Tarpals shouted. He caught a glimpse of Drind, who had climbed onto the long transport machine, as she duplicated Kimma Nril's leap onto a droid-driven STAP. The flying platform lurched; Drind savagely yanked the droid's head in a circle, then grabbed for the controls.  
  
"Captain!" Rell Iss was running along the wide bottom of the tank, a pair of energy balls in his hands. He tossed one gingerly to Tarpals. The top hatch suddenly popped open and a droid emerged, weapon aimed at Tarpals's face. There was a flash. The droid spasmed and keeled to one side, gun falling from a limp hand. Tarpals grabbed for it. Rell Iss's head appeared on the other side of the hatch, grinning. "Got him!"  
  
"Nice shot," Tarpals remarked as the tank lurched into a slow sideways spin. "Do you remember how the _Naaboo_ Ed-vhic worked the flying thing?"  
  
"I think so," Rell Iss replied, and slid head first into the hatchway. The tank shuddered several times, but finally stalled and thudded into the grass. The sudden halt threw Tarpals forward onto the barrel of the cannon. "Ouch," Rell Iss's voice issued from inside. "Sorry, Captain."  
  
"I'm not hurt," Tarpals assured him. "You?"  
  
"No, sir." Rell Iss poked his head of the hatch and looked around.  
  
Tarpals surveyed the battle scene. None of the droids was in any condition to threaten the Gungans, although several of the machines were still moving (most of them lacking heads or arms). "Finish those off," Tarpals ordered, repelled by the things. "Company, assemble."  
  
Several Gungans were injured, burned by blaster fire that actually had been near misses. Two more, one Patrol rider and the other a _militiagung_, lay unmoving in the grass; a third was pulled from the water by her companions. She lay gasping, eyes closed. Peskis crouched beside her for a moment, then glanced up at Tarpals and shook his head. "Keep watch for more _maccaneeks_," Tarpals ordered Orrin and Rell Iss. Then he dropped to both knees beside the dying female.  
  
"Did – did we get them?" she whispered.  
  
"All of them," Tarpals assured her. "They'll never harm anyone again."  
  
"Make sure we do that to the rest of them."  
  
"If all our people show even a little of your courage, the _maccaneeks_ won't stand a chance. Tell me your clan and family, so we may properly honor you."  
  
"Wern, of the Ikopi Clan," she replied. "My family is from the Hinsta settlement."  
  
"Don't forget them," Tarpals said formally. "They will look for your help and guidance from this time forward." Members of Wern's family would expect her spirit to bring them luck after her death. "It has been my honor to serve with you."  
  
Wern smiled, then stiffened. A moment later she was gone.  
  
Tarpals remained kneeling beside her body for a few moments, head bowed. Then he rose. "The other two?"  
  
"Dead as well, Captain," Peskis answered. "Irdin Gane, of the Terazod Clan, and Kale Dinn Mei, of the Uuray Clan." Tarpals nodded. Gane had been a Patrol member for nearly five seasons. Mei had been one of the _militiagungs_. "Sound the Lament," Tarpals told Rell Iss. The young Gungan put his message horn to his lips and blew a long note, which was picked up by the Patrol members. Tarpals and a few of the _militiagungs_ remained silent as those singing trilled up and down the scale, marking the passing of their comrades with song.  
  
At last the trilling died away. Tarpals sighed wearily. "Peskis, you and Orrin go back to where we left the rest of our people and bring them here. Rell Iss will steer the large vehicle so everyone can ride." The three Gungans saluted, Rell Iss looking a bit apprehensive. Peskis and Orrin mounted their _kaadu_; after a couple of false starts, Rell Iss managed to get the transport moving, and the three headed back to the forest. Tarpals turned to the remainder of the command. "We have a great deal to do before they return. Let's get to it."  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
"I think we should follow them," Edvic insisted for what Yané thought was the seventh or eighth time.  
  
"No, we shouldn't," Saché replied. "If anything goes wrong out there, we might end up being the last line of defense here. There's a time to act, and a time to wait. This is your time to wait. Now, get down off that thing and let it rest."  
  
The boy had been practicing steering the STAP around trees, careful to remain inside the protection of the forest. For a while he had been content to show the _militiagungs_ and Vlenka how to work the controls, then had amused himself by flitting around trees on the vehicle.  
  
Vlenka, taking advantage of the time to repair some of the damaged tack, looked up at Edvic. "Yousa rilly need'n to learn the fust rule of the Third Pah-trol," he said mildly.  
  
"What's that?"  
  
"When da captain givesss an order, yousa follow it."  
  
"Is there a second rule?" asked Arlan, who had been playing hide and seek with Edvic among the trees, and had stopped for a rest.  
  
"Yiss. Secont rule—"  
  
The _militiagung_ posted at the edge of the treeline hissed a warning. For a moment everyone froze; then the human and Gungan children scattered among the trees, seeking hiding places. The adults snatched up their weapons, Sen Tal and Yané taking up a position near Kimma Nril, who was stretched out on the ground, resting. Kimma reached for a blaster, but made no other movement.  
  
Edvic accelerated forward. "Edvic!" Brandes called after him in a hoarse whisper, but if the teen heard, he ignored her. Saché muttered something unintelligible and sprinted after him, keeping as close to the ground as possible.  
  
Brandes clutched the grip of the blaster, her eyes fixed on the direction of the meadow. For several minutes all she heard was the soft hum of the STAP's engines. Then the noise increased in volume, and Edvic came gliding through the trees. "It's all right!" he announced, grinning. "C'mon! You've got to see this!"  
  
Brandes glanced toward Vlenka, who finally signed the "all clear", and the children emerged from their hiding places. "Least'n most'a dem follows instructions," the Patrol rider grumbled. But Brandes noticed he patted Arlan good-naturedly on the head before gesturing the others forward.  
  
At the edge of the meadow, Saché and the _militiagung_ Pell had risen to their feet and were peering out into the open space before them. Brandes followed their gaze, and almost laughed. A long, low transport vehicle was gliding along the grass. Every so often it would jerk to a halt, then start up again. Instead of flying head first, it was moving almost kitty-corner; then the driver would overcorrect, and the transport would swing slowly in the other direction. Escorting the transport were a pair of Gungans on _kaadu_, both of whom were giving the vehicle a wide berth. The rider trailing well behind the transport was leading a third _kaadu_.  
  
One of the riders shouted something and rode forward to bang a fist against the transport's driver's side door. The transport jerked, shuddered, and slid to a halt. The rider turned in the saddle and grinned at the party lurking inside the woods. It was Orrin.  
  
Vlenka snorted. "Deysan oursan folk onna _kaadu_, but hoos steerin' dat t'ing?"  
  
The transport's hatch swung upward to reveal a third Gungan – Rell Iss.  
  
"Tell me he's not driving the rest of the way," Yané drawled.  
  
"Actually, for a first-time driver, he didn't do too badly," Brandes remarked.  
  
"Well, it's not as though he had much to run into out there," Saché murmured to Yané. Vlenka made a hissing sound that seemed to be laughter.  
  
Arlan scurried out into the meadow, closely followed by Temmis, Plirri, and the human children. A rather unsteady Rell Iss stumbled down the transport's ramp. Peskis rode up, leading the last _kaadu_, which promptly began to squawk and honk at Rell Iss. The young Gungan reached up and patted it on the neck, but the animal continued to make complaining noises. Peskis, Orrin, and Vlenka laughed.  
  
"He obviously feels deserted," Peskis remarked in High Gungan, swinging down from the saddle as his _kaadu_ sank into a crouch.  
  
"He's just being a critic!" Rell Iss snapped. He gave the reins a shake. "Stop it! That was tough enough without you complaining about it all the way back!" The _kaadu_'s ranting finally trailed off.  
  
"Are we going to ride in this?" Arlan asked.  
  
"Yiss," Rell Iss answered. "Iss'n all yours."  
  
Brandes entered the transport and examine the controls. "I should be able to drive this. That would leave Yané and Saché free to fire weapons if they need to, and Edvic to ride the STAP."  
  
"I wanna help steer!" Arlan exclaimed.  
  
"I think that might be a bit difficult for you," Brandes told him. "But you can help navigate."  
  
Arlan looked puzzled. "What does that mean?"  
  
"It means you get to tell Minister Brandes where to drive the transport," Yané explained.  
  
Arlan's face lit up. "All right!"  
  
While Brandes familiarized herself with the controls, the children and the remaining Gungans began loading their few supplies into the transport. Finally Sen Tal emerged from the woods, supporting Kimma. "Gott'n room for one'a more?" he asked.  
  
"Of course," Brandes replied. "There's plenty of room for all of us, actually. Let's see if we can lower the backs of the seats so she can lie down if she wants."  
  
"Wesa gott'n pro'llem with Zanté," Kimma said weakly. "Shesa still inna forest, an' won't come out. Mesa t'inks shesa scared of diss'n." She waved her hand at the transport.  
  
"Probably associates it with the droids," Brandes said. She, Saché and Yané waded back into the forest undergrowth to find Zanté clinging to Hanar, sobbing silently.  
  
Brandes reached over the stroke the girl's hair. "Zanté, it's all right. It's just a transport. The Gungans chased all the droids away. There's nothing to be afraid of anymore." The girl shook her head and hugged the Gungan tighter. "Zanté, I'm going to be driving the transport. You'll be perfectly safe."  
  
Hanar patted her back reassuringly and murmured something to her in High Gungan, but when he lifted her, Zanté struggled until he nearly dropped her. Hanar knelt again, and the girl quieted.  
  
Brandes sighed. "This is going to be a problem," she said. "I thought we would all ride in the transport and just lead the _kaadu_ along behind us. If someone rides beside us with Zanté, I'm just afraid it will look suspicious if the Neimoidians decide to take a close look at us."  
  
"Well, she certainly can't stay here," Saché said. "There's got to be some way to get her on board. I know it sounds harsh, but we might have to just carry her on, and hope she settles down on the way."  
  
"Yané, ask Sen Tal to come back here," Brandes said. She touched Hanar on the arm and pointed first to Zanté, then to the edge of the forest. "Let's take her up there."  
  
Hanar set the girl on her feet and took her hand. A few moments later, Sen Tal and Temmis re-entered the woods. The three Gungans coaxed Zanté to the edge of the meadow. Temmis scurried ahead and trotted up the transport's ramp, poking his head out of one of the windows and waving at Zanté. Plirri, curious about what was happening, appeared at the head of the ramp.  
  
"See?" Sen Tal said. "Iss all'n ussan dere. Wesa gonna ride now. Kimma, shesa inside waitin' for ussan. Come 'long." He waved Hanar ahead; the Gungan picked Plirri up at the head of the ramp and tossed him into the air. Plirri squealed happily as Hanar carried him inside.  
  
Sen Tal tugged at Zanté's hand. The girl slowly stepped out into the meadow and allowed the Gungan to lead her, not to the ramp, but to one of the windows. There he lifted her so she could see inside. Stretched out on one of the reclining seats, Kimma lifted her head and beckoned. "Dere, see?" Sen Tal said. "Kimma iss waitin'. Less go." He set Zanté down and walked to the foot of the ramp. Finally the human girl followed, first peering cautiously inside the transport as if to reassure herself that no droids were hiding among the seats. At last she walked up the ramp. Kimma called her over; Zanté promptly climbed onto the seat next to the Gungan and curled up against her.  
  
Brandes sighed in relief. "All right. Let's tie the _kaadus_' reins to something, and get moving."  
  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
  
By the time the transport arrived at Splitrock's lake, several bundles of supplies had been loaded into the tanks, and the fallen Gungans laid to rest among the bushes and tall grass around Splitrock. The armored vehicles were designed to carry four droids – a commander, a pilot, and two gunners. Six more could ride on the outside by holding on to sets of handrails. Three Gungans could ride in each tank if two sat in the seats and one stood or sat on the floor at the rear entrance. Saché, Yané and Edvic would take turns piloting the tanks; Brandes would drive the transport. There would be just about enough room for everyone inside one of the vehicles, while the _kaadu_ and _falumpasets_ were led along beside. The Gungans had tied bundles of food and clothing to the outside handrails of the tanks; carrying slings of _buumas_ were stowed inside each vehicle, along with extra _electropoles_ and _cestas_.  
  
The large ammunition would be left behind – it had come down to a decision between that or having people walk, and Tarpals wanted to be moving on as quickly as possible. His people could come back for the supplies later; right now, getting to Tendesay and back was much more important.  
  
The last of the supplies were loaded, the Gungans and _Naaboo_ climbed aboard their various vehicles, and the convoy started on the last leg of its journey. They would spend one night in the open; the following afternoon would see them in Tendesay.


	15. Chapter 15

The convoy halted at dusk. Tarpals felt there was no point in stopping before that; they had enough supplies, so foraging was unnecessary, and once the sun set, there was less of a chance of them being spotted from orbit.  
  
Brandes had taught a couple of the Gungans the basics of steering; as she stretched her legs by walking up and down the aisles of the transport, she reflected that neither of them would be hired as professional drivers, but they'd be able to maneuver the transport in a pinch. For their part, the Gungans had seemed surprised that the transport didn't move in an upward direction as well forward, backward, left and right. One of them had finally muttered something about the transport not being a "_bon-gho_", and the other had nodded.  
  
Everyone else had spent most of their time looking out the windows, watching for signs of pursuit. The children, both human and Gungan, had amused themselves playing simple guessing games or learning the Gungan sign language from Sen Tal. Zanté had spent much of the trip huddled next to Kimma, but no longer seemed on the verge of panic.  
  
Once they had halted, everyone ate, Tarpals turned out his sentries, and the group settled in for the night. Realizing that this would most likely be their last evening together, both humans and Gungans sat in the meadow near the transport to share a meal of dried food and chat in the rapidly dimming light.  
  
"I've been meaning to ask you something, Orrin," Brandes said. The rider politely tilted her head away so she could hear better. "Vlenka mentioned the first rule of the Third Patrol was 'When the captain gives an order, you follow it'. What's the second rule?"  
  
"Simple," Orrin responded. "Secont rule iss, 'da captain may not allus be right, but hesa –'"  
  
"'Allus the captain'," chorused the entire contingent of the Third Mount Patrol. Tarpals shot them all a long-suffering look. Saché, Yané, and Brandes laughed.  
  
"We'll have to tell that one to Captain Panaka," Yané remarked.  
  
"Let's not," Saché suggested. "He might actually adopt it."  
  
Standing among the riding animals outside the circle of vehicles, Herns finished brushing the _falumpaset'_s flank and passed the bristle under the animal's belly to Melni, who took up brushing one of the legs. "Inna morning, wesa gonna wanna check hiss'n feet," he remarked.  
  
"Was he limping?" asked Melni.  
  
"No, but iss allus a good idee to check da h'animal's feet afore yousa ride hims."  
  
"Oh." Melni worked in silence for a moment, then remarked, "You know, you're really pretty nice when you're not being mean to people."  
  
Herns snorted. "My suppose dat's a compliment." He was rolling up the _falumpaset_'s reins before tying them up where the animal wouldn't step on them during the night.  
  
"Why don't you like humans?"  
  
"Few times mesa hedd anyt'ing to do wit' da _Naaboo_ wuss wit' tradin'. Lott'n time, da _Naaboo_ wantin' to cheat ussan, get more'n deysa paid for. Deysa t'ink wesa stoopit, liken wesa don' unnerstand how baluable t'ings iss."  
  
"Well, it's true that was wrong. But we're not all like that."  
  
Herns was silent. "Once yousa been bit by some-att, yousa learn to either leave it 'lone or bite it fust," he said finally. "But mebbe when diss'n all over, wesa all gett'n chance to start over 'gain, eh?"  
  
Melni grinned. "Sure. Maybe you could start before that, by talking to Arlan and Edvic."  
  
"Mebbe." Melni thought Herns sounded hesitant, but she couldn't very well force him to go apologize. He jiggled the bridle he was carrying. "Wesa stow diss'n an' go bekk to camp, yiss?"  
  
"Okay," said Melni, and she took the bridle, patted the _falumpaset_ on the flank, and walked with Herns toward the transport.  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Arlan yawned, then curled up against Tarpals's leg, pillowing his head in the Gungan's lap. Tarpals sensed Brandes reaching for the boy. "Arlan...."  
  
"No. Leave hims. Hesa fine." The Gungan hesitated, and then carefully rested his hand on the boy's back as a reassuring gesture.  
  
"If he's bothering you –"  
  
"No bother. Hesa don' weight much."  
  
Brandes smiled, although she doubted even Tarpals's eyes could see that in the darkness. "I know this is a personal question, Captain, but do you have children?"  
  
"My clan fam'ly hass little'uns, but my've never Tekken one In," Tarpals answered.  
  
"I'm afraid I don't understand."  
  
Tarpals thought for a moment. "When the _sprattlings_ are hatched, theysa divided up 'mong the Clans. Each clan 'ccepts certain number of _sprattlings_. In each Clan, theysa fam'lies. Many times, fam'lies Tekk In—" here Tarpals emphasized his words "— _sprattlings_. Liken Nril fam'ly. The _sprattlings_ whosa don' hev fam'lies still hev a Clan. Clan tekks care of them, feeds them, teaches them. All'n the 'dults tekk turns wit' them."  
  
"So it's like having a huge, extended family?" Brandes suggested.  
  
"Yiss, some-att liken that."  
  
There was a pause. "We thought that perhaps Rell Iss was your son."  
  
"Sssson?"  
  
"Yes. Temmis and Plirri would be Kimma's and Sen Tal's and Hanar's sons. They're the male children of a family."  
  
"Uh." The Gungan considered that. "No. Rell Iss, hesa from 'nother Clan, already gott'n fam'ly, liken Nrils." There were no true orphans among the Gungans, but not every child grew up in a close-knit family situation like Temmis and Plirri would. "Hesa _caadrey_," Tarpals continued. "Hesa works for ussan off'cers, learnin' message notes, carryin' orders, runnin' errands, that'n sort of thing. Iff'n hesa stays inna h'army, hesa pro'lly mekk officer some day."  
  
"And he's a volunteer?"  
  
"Course'n. All'n oursan _sprattlings_, theysa start tekkin' trainin' atta certain h'age. Temmis, hesa almost old enough. Theysa learn simple commands, what ever'thing's called. Iff'n theysa show 'nough promise, wesa encourage thems to think 'bout servin' full time. Iff'n not, theysa still kipp trainin' every few seasons, chust to kipp the skills fresh, liken the _militiagungs_." Tarpals paused. "Most'n the _Naaboo sprattlings_, theysa old 'nough to tekk the trainin', too. At th'end of trainin', wesa would 'ward thems with liddle carved disks – theysa wear them or hang them inna homes. Don't hev any with ussan, my'm afraid."  
  
Brandes managed a laugh. "It's all right, Captain – the fact that we've survived this long is reward enough. I have to confess, when your command first rescued us, I wasn't sure what to expect – I just thought it couldn't be any worse than being prisoners of the Trade Federation. Now I'm very, very grateful for your help – all of you. If we can't get to Tendesay, I'm willing to go wherever your people are willing to take us. You're civilized beings, no matter how different we are." She finally reached over to lift Arlan. "And speaking of Tendesay, we should probably all get some sleep so we'll be ready to start in the morning."  
  
Tarpals put a hand on her wrist. "Leave hims. Hesa wantin' to sleep out'nside, thiss'n a good night for it. My will watch him."  
  
"That's very kind of you, Captain. Thank you. For everything."  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
Late morning found them traveling uphill through fields of tall grass dotted by copses of trees. They were, Tarpals thought, traveling smoothly, and would reach Tendesay by mid-afternoon. In some respects, they had been extremely fortunate – there seemed to be no pursuit by the _maccaneeks_ after their vehicles had been stolen. Tarpals found the thought puzzling, and more than a little suspicious.  
  
The tank's front hatch was open, giving them all a limited view of the countryside before them. Yané had the camera on and was scanning the area with it; unfortunately, the camera didn't tilt up very well, whether because it hadn't been designed to do so or because it had been damaged in battle, they couldn't tell. Peskis sat in the gunner's seat, and Rell Iss, message horn slung over his back, rode standing in the rear door, ready to relay commands.  
  
The second tank glided along to their right; Tarpals had assigned Saché, Orrin, and Drind to ride in that one, with the _Naaboo_ driving. Vlenka rode in the transport, along with the rest of the Patrol members and the _Naaboo_.  
  
Something rumbled, and for a moment Tarpals wondered if there were a problem with the tank itself. Yané must have thought so as well, because she scanned the instrument console. "Somebody else heard that, right?" she asked.  
  
"Yiss."  
  
"Everything seems to be working," the young woman remarked. "So it wasn't us—"  
  
This time there was a staccato burst of high-pitched _pings_. A second rumble followed; Tarpals identified it as an explosion.  
  
"Are we under attack?" asked Rell Iss, poking his head out the door and peering around.  
  
"Too far away," Tarpals remarked. "But there's a battle nearby."  
  
Yané began tapping buttons on the instrument panels. "I'm reading more tanks, in front of us."  
  
"A'tween ussan and Tendesay," Peskis said.  
  
"Theysa pro'lly not shootin' at each other," Tarpals said, "so iss'n likely a group of _Naaboo_ at Tendesay."  
  
A mechanical voice squawked from the audio panel at Yané's elbow. "Armored Assault Tanks 142 and 212, you are registered on scope as being within range of the battle in sector nine. Confirm."  
  
Yané and both Gungans jumped in surprise. "I – I think that's us. Um...." She studied the panel. "If I answer it, it'll know we're not droids – they all have male voices."  
  
"My kenn do it," Peskis suggested.  
  
"With that accent?" she exclaimed.  
  
"Yousa feed mesa words, my'll talk. Yousa see."  
  
"Do thiss'n," Tarpals ordered.  
  
"Okay," Yané muttered. She turned back to Peskis. "Tell him 'Confirmed'."  
  
The Ankuran Gungan leaned forward to speak into the panel. "Conn-firmed."  
  
"Your orders are to proceed to the center of sector nine and reinforce us. We have engaged a group of Naboo non-cooperatives. Confirm."  
  
"Conn-firmed," Peskis repeated.  
  
"What is your ETA?"  
  
Both Gungans peered at Yané. "Estimated time of arrival," she explained. Both Gungans still wore puzzled expressions. "They want to know how long it will take for us to join them," she continued.  
  
"What would be a reasonable an-sah?" Tarpals asked.  
  
Yané considered. "I'd suggest at least ten minutes," she replied.  
  
Tarpals nodded. "Tell them that."  
  
Peskis leaned forward, and Yané pressed the "reply" button. "Eee Tee Ay iz ten min-utes," he said slowly, with as little inflection as possible.  
  
"Acknowledged," the droid voice said, and the comm line was silent.  
  
"Halt ussan," Tarpals said. Yané pressed the brake.  
  
"So now what?" she asked, twisting in the seat to face Tarpals.  
  
The Gungan cocked his head. "Yousa heard hiss'n," he replied. "Wesa been ordered into battle. Yousa know the fust rule."  
  
"When the Captain gives an order, you follow it," Yané said. "But this was an order from the droid – the _maccaneek_ commander."  
  
Tarpals's lips suddenly pulled back from his teeth in what might have been a smile, if it hadn't been quite so predatory. The orange-yellow eyes narrowed and gleamed. "Doesn' matter. Wesa been ordered into battle – wesa goin' into battle."  
  
Twelve minutes later a pair of assault tanks topped the hill and glided into position behind the half dozen of their fellows. The unit had what appeared to be a group of humans pinned down in a copse of trees. A handful of buildings were scattered on the hillside on the other side of the copse – the outskirts of the town of Tendesay. Using the trees as shields, the humans had brought up several of the flat, oval-shaped vehicles called "speeders"; mounted on the back of each speeder was a mid-sized blaster cannon, and the humans were returning the droid fire. The shots were successful against the droids and their STAPs, despite the flying platforms' speed. However, the large tanks were proving to be more of a challenge, and the tide of the battle had turned against the human defenders even before the appearance of Armored Assault Tanks 142 and 212.  
  
Tank cannons thundered. There was an answering hail of smaller munitions fire from a series of speeder guns. Several droids fell, but the tanks continued forward.  
  
Sergeant Territ Berendar eyed the Trade Federation reinforcements that had just topped the hill, and his mouth tightened. "Prepare to fall back," he ordered his command. "There are just too many for the weapons we have." Emboldened by the appearance of two more of their assault vehicles, three of the tanks were already moving forward – when the guns of the two new arrivals opened fire, directly into the exposed and undershielded rear entrance hatches of the Trade Federation's tanks.  
  
The two tanks shuddered; metal exploded and smoke rolled up from cracked hulls. One of the attacking tanks continued to pour fire into the wreckage as the second targeted another assault vehicle and opened fire. The blaster bursts pelted the side of the tank as the guns tracked to the rear of the tank, searing the outer hull of the vehicle and the two droids clinging to the handholds. Energy lightning flickered over the metal as the electrical systems within overloaded. The tank jerked to a halt and listed to one side.  
  
The remaining three tanks in the original unit turned, cannon turrets swiveling to target the surprise attackers. A series of sustained notes suddenly echoed through the hills, and the remainder of Tarpals's command swept past the two armored assault tanks and into battle.  
  
The Gungan riders immediately scattered, offering the Trade Federation tanks no clear targets. Within moments, the riders were among the tanks themselves, requiring the droids to either cease their fire or risk blowing each other's vehicles up. The side handholds that served droids riding on the outside of the tanks also worked for riders who swung themselves aboard the assault vehicles. Two hatches suddenly popped open and droids appeared, ready to shoot the boarders – entirely the wrong move, as the Gungans happily pelted one with hand-held _buumas_ and a rider grabbed the other droid by the neck and yanked it out of the hatch. Pieces of _maccaneeks_ flew.  
  
But laser canons weren't the Trade Federation's only weapons. Even as Yané targeted another tank, their own vehicle rocked violently, pitching the riders against control panels and seat backs. The tank shuddered to a halt.  
  
"What'n wass that?" Tarpals demanded, picking himself up off the floor.  
  
Yané coughed and gasped; smoke was pouring out of the consoles around her. "I think – I think they used – a missile or bomb of some sort!" The tank rocked again, and the armor around the front hatched cracked.  
  
"T'inkin' iss good idee to go, Kippton!" Peskis called as he came sliding down the stair rails. "Deysa nothin' workin' uppa dere!"  
  
"Ever'one out!" Tarpals commanded, and the group spilled into the grass, abandoning the tank.  
  
All three of the Gungans called for their mounts as they crouched under the inadequate shelter of the rear hatchway. For the most part, however, the droids on the STAPs were ignoring them, zooming past and over the hill.  
  
"Captain!" Peskis began.  
  
"The _traans_-port!" Tarpals agreed.  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
  
Vlenka and most of the _militiagungs_ had scrambled out of the transport and set up a ring of hand-held shields—effective enough against the droid blasters, and even the lasers aboard the flying STAPs. For the moment, the two groups were at a standoff.  
  
Brandes crouched with several of the children among the transport seats. They were safe for the moment, but with the Gungans outside, Brandes couldn't move the transport without leaving them. The _militiagungs_ fought with a combination of their own unique energy weapons and _maccaneek_ blasters. They had no way of knowing what had happened to the two assault tanks. At any moment, the Trade Federation forces could top the hill and attack.  
  
Brandes had to shout to make herself heard. "If the Gungans weren't outside, we might be able to circle the outskirts of Tendesay and come in from a different direction!"  
  
"I don't know if that would work or not!" Edvic shouted back. "We don't know where the Trade Federation tanks are or what else is in the area! What we really need are a couple of good fighter pilots and ships!" He threw a glance at the rear of the transport. "Or the next best thing!" The teen scrambled to his feet and scuttled down the aisle to the rear door. Throwing it open, he levered the STAP off the floor, started the engine, and zoomed, a little unsteadily, out into the field. The vehicle finally made a somewhat shaky turn and headed toward the fighting.  
  
Edvic clutched the handgrips, his teeth clenched in concentration. It was one thing to ride a STAP, another altogether to ride and shoot straight at the same time. The human's aim was marginal at best, and several of the droids turned their own STAPs in Edvic's direction and began firing.  
  
The _militiagungs_ took advantage of the moment to focus their fire on the droids' backs; even so, Edvic reflexively threw himself backward off the STAP and into the grass.  
  
As the droids zoomed forward, a hail of _buumas_ showered them from the top of the hill – Tarpals's remaining troops had arrived to support their human comrades. Rell Iss's message horn sounded from behind his commanding officer, and the _militiagungs_ suddenly split up and engaged the droids in one-on-one combat.  
  
Kimma Nril rolled off the seat on which she had been lying and was stumbling out the back door of the transport in a crouching run, blaster in hand. Plirri, seeing his _maatra_ moving, scampered after her. Temmis caught the movement and turned. "Plirri! Come back here!"  
  
Zanté was crouched under a seat near the rear of the transport; she raised her head in time to see Temmis pelt out the door after his younger sibling. The human girl opened her mouth, shoulders heaving, as though trying to call out to Sen Tal or Hanar or anyone else that both young Gungans were in danger. No sound emerged. She crawled to the edge of the door and peered at the battle raging around the transport.  
  
Temmis had caught Plirri before he could follow Kimma far; both youngsters were wrestling, Temmis's arms around Plirri's chest as he tried to pick up the younger Gungan and drag him back to the transport.  
  
Zanté exhaled sharply, but she was still calling silently. Blaster bolts chewed up the ground and exploded metal around them. Gungans and _maccaneeks_ grappled hand-to-hand, the moving STAPs tracking running _militiagungs_.  
  
With no one inside the transport looking in her direction, Zanté tumbled out into the grass and ran, crouching, to where Temmis and Plirri knelt behind the wreckage of a droid and its STAP. The shelter was only relative, however, with the battle raging around them. Temmis looked up. "Heah, he'p mesa wit' hims!" He had Plirri by the arm. Zanté grabbed the Gungan's other elbow, and the two began a staggering trot back to the transport. Plirri squealed and wriggled. "_Maatra! Maatra!_"  
  
"Quiet!" Temmis insisted.  
  
Zanté suddenly jerked to a halt, hands still clutching Plirri's elbow. One of the droids had approached on foot, blaster in hand. It moved between them and the transport, and lowered its weapon at the human girl.  
  
"You," the droid said, gesturing at her with the gun. "Hands up. You will surrender at once."  
  
Zanté stared, frozen in place, gasping. A droid just like this one had done the same thing in her home village at the beginning of the invasion. The only difference was that this time, her parents were gone.  
  
"Yousa leaven dem 'lone!" Temmis squealed, slapping both palms against the droid's leg and throwing his weight against it. The droid staggered sideways a step, and then whipped its weapon down in a blow against the Gungan's face. Temmis collapsed in a heap.  
  
Zanté ran across the droid's line of fire, dragging Plirri with her. Dropping to her knees she gathered Temmis up into her arms, angling her body between him and the droid's weapon.  
  
Hands up!" the droid said in its monotone voice. Zanté buried her face in one of the Gungan's ears, then turned and scowled up at the droid. Plirri was wailing as he clutched a fold of the human's clothes.  
  
"Hands up, or I will shoot," the droid warned her. Zanté hunched down and held Temmis closer.  
  
The droid's arm moved into a firing position.  
  
An _electropole'_s tip speared the droid's back, driving all the way through the chest plate, and Kimma Nril used the pole to lever the droid into the air and over her shoulder. The droid sparked and jerked, then went still. The Gungan stood over the three children, her teeth bared and _haillu_ raised in challenge.  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Saché and her companions were flung against the control panels as the assault tank lurched under continuous fire from the three closing vehicles. "Time to abandon ship," she gasped as the panel sparked and its lights flickered.  
  
Drind sprang from her chair and slapped the control panel that opened the rear door. Orrin swung down from the gunnery position. The floor of the tank heaved under her feet as the vehicle took fire. Saché swiveled her chair and stumbled to her feet; the panel behind her overloaded. The seat shielded her from most of the blast. Orrin snagged the front of the human's shirt and yanked; both of them sprawled on the floor. The rear hatch had only opened partway before the electrical system had been disrupted. Drind was crawling out the opening, calling for assistance. Orrin dragged Saché across the floor and shoved her toward the opening. "Go! Hurry!"  
  
The human wriggled out of the opening and in the middle of a charge. Gungans were scrambling everywhere – some were firing at the oncoming droids, giving their companions time to mount their _kaadu_. Smoke from the damaged vehicles drifted over the battlefield. Saché had just time for a brief glimpse at the confusion around here when Drind reached forward and seized the front of her tunic. The Gungan swung her in a circle. She caught the hissing explosion of blaster fire and the grass where she had been standing burst into flames. Drind threw herself on top of her; the Gungan's body jerked in her arms, and bore her to the ground. Saché struggled out from under her. One glance told her the _militiagung_ would never move again – no one could survive the wounds on her back. Gasping, Saché staggered to one side, and found herself staring up the barrels of the STAP laser canons that had killed her companion.  
  
"Halt!" the droid began, but never finished. Over its shoulder, Saché saw the barrels of the first of the assault vehicles top the hill. At the same moment, the top hatch of the tank she had abandoned popped open, and Orrin clambered out onto the lip of the opening.  
  
"Orrin!" Saché cried in warning. The Gungan completely ignored the oncoming vehicles and, with a cry of rage, flung herself from the top of the tank where she had been crouching and slammed into the droid. The approaching assault tank opened fire, shattering the outer casing of their abandoned vehicle. Smoke poured out of the hulk, obscuring everything in Saché's view.


	16. Chapter 16

"These primitives are going to be harder to subdue than the humans," Rune Haako remarked. He and Nute Gunray, two of the Neimoidians overseeing the occupation of Naboo, were sitting comfortably in a palace meeting room in Theed, watching the battle on a vid screen. The droid forces had finally cornered a group of those annoying resistance fighters, humans who were foolish enough to think they stood a chance against the Trade Federation's army. Now, suddenly, a group of primitives had appeared from nowhere and fallen upon the droid battalion. Fortunately, the whole battle was taking place far enough away so the Neimoidians themselves were in no danger. 

"Perhaps. I was thinking we should try to capture some of them. There are many people who would pay good money for such fighters. It might making keeping them alive worth the trouble." Gunray peered thoughtfully at the picture on the screen. 

The primitives' charge had carried them over the hill, away from the humans' position. As the Neimoidians watched, their two remaining assault vehicles glided to the top of the hill in pursuit of the primitives, who even now scrambled to protect a long, low transport that had halted partway down the other side of the hill. 

Gunray leaned forward. The transport contained a number of the primitives, but something else was moving out of the vehicle as well. A human girl sprinted after a small primitive. Humans? And primitives? Together? Gunray and Haako watched as the girl and two immature primitives were confronted by one of the battle droids. The droids had been ordered to capture any and all humans alive if possible, unless the humans offered armed resistance. The primitives, however, were almost too dangerous to keep alive, as Gunray had learned after dealing with several of them as prisoners. 

"Get the camera closer on that one," Gunray ordered, pointing to a tan-and-blue figure in the midst of a knot of droids. The camera panned in, revealing a Gungan in dark brown leather, a long pole in its hands. The Gungan speared one droid and lifted it, smashing it into a second. Another unfortunate droid took the butt of the Gungan's pole in the face; as the droid staggered, the Gungan dropped the spear, seized the droid by the arm, and flung it into the path of a blaster bolt. The Gungan snatched its pole up and stood snarling at the camera as a second Gungan and a human woman broke from the protection of the transport and sprinted to assist. 

"Isn't that woman one of the Naboo leaders we sent to a special holding facility?" Gunray remarked. 

Haako gestured in confusion. "I can't tell. The humans all look alike to me." 

"Let's see the rest of the battlefield," Gunray ordered, and the camera backed away to give him a broader picture. The droids around the transport fell as a line of primitives mounted on their two-legged riding animals converged on the transport and its beleaguered defenders. The largest of the primitives was shouting; Gunray suspected it might be the leader of the group. The riders formed a protective circle around the youngsters and the defending adults. 

Suddenly the entire group, almost as one, turned to stare at something off-camera. The remaining Trade Federation assault vehicles had topped the hill. 

"Tell the droids to fire a warning shot," Gunray ordered. "We want to take them alive." 

~*~*~*~ 

Edvic's STAP carrier had exploded into a fireball. The human flung both arms over his head and tried to burrow into the grass. A hand seized his tunic, dragging him behind a large shape that turned out to be one of the _falumpasets_, lying in the field. The human boy found himself staring at Herns. 

"Yousa gotten no sense a'tall," the Gungan grumbled. The corporal shoved a spare droid weapon at him. "Yousa wanna fight some-att?" He nodded to the droids on the field. "Deysa yoursa enemies. Yousa been wantin' to prove some-att all 'long. Nows yoursa chance." 

For a moment the human teen stared, panting, at the Gungan. Then his eyes traveled to the gun in Herns's hand. 

Edvic's fingers closed on the gun. "All right." 

"Yousa know how to use dat?" 

"I-I think so." The teen's fingers curled around the grip, his forefinger slipping around the trigger. He sighted down the barrel. "Point and shoot." 

"Don' get much simp'ler den dat," Herns said. "Less go!" Human and Gungan sprang over the _falumpaset_'s body and charged into battle. 

~*~*~*~ 

"Riders! Scatter and engage the two _tahnks_! Keep your distance from each other – don't give them a clear target!" Tarpals was standing in the saddle. "The rest of you, behind the transport! _Militiagungs_, form a perimeter—" 

The rest of his orders were cut off as the lead assault tank topped the hill and opened fire into the ground at his _kaadu_'s feet. Squalling, the animal staggered and went down; Tarpals scrambled out of the saddle, but the _kaadu_'s fall propelled him sideways and he landed in a heap at Hela Brandes's feet. The riders and _militiagungs_ hesitated; Tarpals lay unmoving where he had fallen. The barrel on the closest assault tank rose slightly to point directly at the knot of Gungans between the droids and the humans. 

The top hatch on the lead tank opened and a droid emerged, pointing a hand-blaster at the group. "Do not move," the droid instructed in a monotone. "The humans will lay down any weapons and surrender. You will not be harmed." 

A discarded blaster in hand, Brandes pushed her way through the riders, Yané close behind. "What about the Gungans?" Brandes shouted, craning her neck to look up at the droid. 

"They are of no concern to you," the droid replied. 

The human woman stared up at the droid, and a sneer slowly formed on her face. "They _are_ of concern to us," she said finally, glancing up and down the line of riders on either side of her. She gripped the blaster in both hands. "Riders, scatter!" she barked. "Follow orders!" 

With a collective whoop, the Gungans wheeled their _kaadu_, and the line shattered. Brandes raised the blaster with both hands and pointed it in what she hoped was the commanding droid's direction. "Not this time!" she shouted, and squeezed the trigger; beside her, Yané copied her actions. Blaster fire splashed over the top of the tank as the droid disappeared from sight. Brandes barely caught the statement "Open fi—" when two of the droids and their STAPs off to her right exploded. 

A hand seized her shoulder and spun her in a circle; Tarpals dropped her unceremoniously behind him and stood, _electropole_ clenched in both hands, between her and the assault tank. She could hear Kimma Nril shouting at the _militiagungs_ and her _essoans_ to move the children out of the way. The Gungan riders were everywhere, the droids returning fire. Tarpals crouched slightly, and then reared up, _haillu_ raised, teeth bared in defiance. 

The lead tank rocked and shuddered. The rear exploded. Scrambling to her hands and knees, Brandes saw the second tank do the same as the smaller forms of the Tendesay defenders' speeders topped the hill behind the tanks and, using the same tactics the Gungans had earlier, smashed into the rear of the assault. Riders and _militiagungs_ targeted STAPs and walking _maccaneeks_ alike. Humans rounded the tanks and opened fire on the remaining droids. In a few minutes, nothing mechanical was moving except the humans' speeders. 

Brandes climbed to her feet. Beside Tarpals, Yané cautiously lowered her own weapon. Haze drifted everywhere; through the smoke, the human defenders of Tendesay and their Gungan counterparts eyed each other warily. 

Tarpals spoke over his shoulder to Brandes. "Yousa all right?" 

"I'm fine, thank you, Captain." The woman reached forward and squeezed his arm gratefully. "Yousa gott'n good battlefield voice," Tarpals remarked. "Mebbe yousa want'n think about different career?" 

"I hope never to do that again!" Brandes replied fervently. 

Yané grinned. "I don't know, Minister Brandes – everyone _did_ follow your orders, after all!" 

All three turned their attention to the human male picking his way across the field toward them, a younger man beside him. Territ Berendar approached cautiously. "Don't make any sudden moves," he muttered out of the side of his mouth to his companion. "We don't want to startle them into hurting the humans." He raised his right hand to shoulder height, palm toward the Gungan. "Me Territ Berendar. How!" 

Tarpals looked over his shoulder at Hela Brandes, who was staring at Berendar with a look of amused disbelief on her face. The Gungan turned back to the _Naaboo_ male. "My would guess that's depending on what yousa tryin' to do," he replied wryly. Several of his command snickered. Yané laughed. The younger man beside Berendar was staring at Tarpals. 

"Sergeant Berendar, this is Captain Tarpals," Brandes said, stepping out from behind the Gungan. "And he does understand Basic, even if he and his people speak a rather, ah, unique form of it." 

"Oh. I see." Berendar pulled himself up and saluted. "Captain." 

Tarpals touched the tip of his electropole to a spot between his eyestalks. "Sah-gent." 

"You're not prisoners, Minister Brandes?" 

Brandes turned back to Tarpals. "Sergeant Berendar is the second-in-command of Theed's city police force," she explained. The Gungan nodded. "No, Sergeant, we're not prisoners. At least, not any more, thanks to the Gungans. They rescued us nearly a week ago, and we've been trying to get to Tendesay ever since." 

"Your timing couldn't be better, Captain," Berendar said. "We've been fighting off droid patrols for days. The Neimoidians apparently decided to send a full unit to deal with us. We were hard-pressed before you arrived." He indicated the man beside him. "Lieutenant Typho." Typho saluted, and Tarpals repeated the gesture with the _electropole_. "Captain, we can't thank you enough. Can we offer you supplies, shelter? Medical treatments?" 

Tarpals glanced around the field, then said over his shoulder to Rell Iss, "Call them all in, _Caadrey_." Rell Iss put the message horn to his lips and blew a series of notes. Gungans, _kaadu_, _falumpasets_, and humans began to converge on the group beside the transport. 

Peskis drew a few stares from the human resistance fighters as he crouched beside Temmis and Zanté, fingers gently probing Temmis's _haillu_ for a pulse. He looked up at the assembled group and nodded, smiling; there were grins in response all around. Peskis reached forward to cup Zanté's face with his hand and smile at her. "Yousa done well, _silo'in_," he told her, and the girl managed a smile. 

Hanar appeared at the head of the transport ramp, then reached back to assist first Nalla, then Melni, then Irric in scrambling out of the opening. Arlan was the last, and the boy promptly flung both arms around Rell Iss's waist and clung to him. The young Gungan looked sheepish, then patted the _Naaboo_ on the head gently. 

Yané stood peering into the smoke. "Saché?" she called. "Saché?" 

"Here," came a thin voice. Two of the _militiagungs_ walked out of the smoke toward them; they supported Orrin between them, their linked arms forming a sort of chair. Saché had Orrin's head cradled in her arms. The Patrol rider's hands and _haillu_ drooped limply; her eyes were half closed. Yané, and Melni exchanged frightened looks, and then pelted across the field to Saché and the three Gungans. Clustering around them, Yané and Melni each supported a leg. The five carried Orrin to where Peskis knelt beside Temmis. On Saché's count of three, they lowered the injured Patrol rider to the ground. Peskis turned away from Temmis to minister to Orrin. 

Kimma hugged first Sen Tal, then Hanar, then Plirri, giving and receiving nips on the underside of the _haillu_. Sen Tal murmured something to her in High Gungan and she sagged against him. Then she knelt to embrace Zanté and stroke Temmis's face. 

Tarpals crouched beside Peskis. The other Gungan, eyes and hands busy with Orrin, shook his head. "I don't know, Captain," he remarked, rummaging through the medical supplies brought from the transport. "It's going to be touchy...." 

"We've lost enough people," Tarpals said. "I'm not ready to lose her, too." 

Peskis paused. "I'll do my best, Captain. But the gods may have other plans." 

Saché bent over Orrin and lifted one of the Gungan's hands. "Don't you dare die on us, Orrin!" 

Tarpals reached forward to grip first Saché's, then Peskis's shoulders in support; then he rose. The Ankuran turned back to his work. Saché remained kneeling beside Orrin. 

A crackle of sound drifted from one of the smoldering droid tanks. "Field Command Two, report. What is your status?" 

Tarpals and Brandes glanced at each other. "That sounds like someone is trying to contact this group of droids," Brandes remarked. She and Yané followed Tarpals and Berendar to the tank. 

"Field Command Two, come in!" 

"Yousa gott'n way to talk bekk to thems?" Tarpals asked. 

"Of course," Yané replied. She stepped up to the communications panel, tapped keys on the console, and the blue-outlined figure of a Neimoidian appeared. "Field Command Number Two," the figure said. "Report!" Then it seemed to catch sight of Tarpals, and stepped back in surprise. 

Tarpals leaned forward to peer at the figure. "Thiss'n Nee-moidian?" 

"Yes," Brandes replied. 

"Good." The Gungan planted both palms on the console and snarled. "Yousa! Gott'n message for all'n yous! Wesa hev tekken out three of yoursan _maccaneek_ pah-trols. Theysa chust the fust." He leaned forward. Yané furtively twisted a dial on the console, and suddenly the Neimoidian shrank considerably. "Yousan want to start watchin' yoursan bekks – wesan comin' for yousan soon 'nough!" 

The blue figure cringed before winking out. 

"What did you do, Yané?" asked Brandes. 

"I just adjusted the projector to make the Captain a lot taller," the Handmaiden replied smugly. "Psychological warfare. Maybe it'll make the Neimoidians think twice about this invasion of theirs if they think something really big and bad is coming after them." 

By the time Tarpals and his group stepped out of the tank, most of the Gungans and humans had gathered in the field beside the transport. Brandes glanced past Tarpals and gasped. "No!" Herns was limping across the field, past the remains of the droids; he carried Edvic in his arms. Two of Tarpals's command trotted across the field to help him, but Herns bared his teeth, his _haillu_ rising in defiance, and the soldiers backed away. The Gungan stumbled to where Typho stood and sank to his knees, laying the teen's body at the lieutenant's feet. Herns was breathing heavily, the side of his face and neck singed, his leather uniform also blackened. "Hesa-- hesa fought well," Herns managed. "Wuss yellin at the _maccaneeks_, an' shootin' —" here he dissolved into a fit of coughing. 

Typho shouted over his shoulder, and three of the humans came running, one of them carrying a box that turned out to contain medical supplies. One woman, presumably a medic, knelt beside the teen; after a moment, the woman glanced up at Berendar and shook her head. 

"Poor Edvic. God help us," Brandes whispered, and buried her face in her hands. Humans and Gungans lowered their heads in respectful silence; Nalla and Melni both wiped their eyes. 

After nearly a minute, Typho stepped forward and made as if to lift Edvic's body. Tarpals reached over and stopped him. "No. Wesa doin' this." 

He motioned and several of the Gungan riders stepped forward; half of them carried _electropoles_ and _cestas_. Forming two lines, they stooped and laid the poles on the ground. Two of the riders lifted the human's body at shoulders and knees, and laid it carefully on the poles. Then each Gungan took the end of a pole and lifted. The process was repeated with the Gungans' dead, Drind and two of the _militiagungs_ who had fallen in defense of the transport. Rell Iss put the message horn to his lips and blew a single long note. One by one, the Gungan adults took up the note, first in a soft hum, then working their way up to a full-throated song. Rell Iss shifted the note into a slow melody that the hills mournfully echoed, and the Gungans sang a wordless harmony. 

Sen Tal carried Temmis's limp form, and the human medics provided a floating stretcher for Orrin. The humans fell in around the pallbearers in respectful silence. In this manner the dead, both human and Gungan, were borne with honor into Tendesay. 

~*~*~*~ 

"There are too many of them," Berendar said, "and they're not like us. They're not flesh and blood – they don't get tired, they don't have to eat. The Neimoidians can keep sending unit after unit of them after us. We keep losing people, either killed or captured, but the droids can be easily replaced." 

Berendar, Tarpals, Brandes, and Typho were sitting at a table in one of the abandoned homes in Tendesay. As the medics worked on the injured, the leaders of the two groups had convened a hasty conference. "We can't stay here," Berendar said. "The Neimoidians know what's happened. I don't know how long it will be before they send troops. We'll do what we can for the wounded, but we'll need to move out soon and find a safer place." 

He leaned forward and peered at Tarpals. "I have to tell you, Captain, what your small group has accomplished in the last few days sounds amazing. But after seeing them fight, I believe it. I mean, we knew your people had a warrior tradition, but, well, we thought... you were all pretty primitive. You know, spears, clubs, things like that. I guess none of us realized how complex your society was or how much military strategy you really had." The human sighed wearily. "I'm sorry, Captain. We've underestimated you, and unfairly. To be honest, we could really use your help." 

The Gungan tilted his head thoughtfully. "What kind'n help do yousan want?" 

Berendar and Typho exchanged glances. "Whatever you can give us, Captain. Personnel, supplies, training for our troops. With Her Highness off the planet indefinitely, we're going to have to manage as best we until – if – she returns." 

"She'll come back, Sergeant," Brandes stated firmly. "She won't abandon us." 

"I wish I shared your confidence, Minister Brandes, but I have to act with what we have at hand," Berendar said. "That means using the personnel and weapons at our disposal now. We can't afford to wait; the Neimoidians could bring in reinforcements at any time." 

Typho picked up the thread. "Captain, most of us are security guards and police officers, not soldiers. We're used to handling individuals, or at most small groups of half a dozen or so. We don't have the training or the resources to take on an army like this. Whatever you can do would be appreciated." 

Tarpals sat blinking at the _Naaboo_ surrounding him. Finally he replied, "Mesa can't mekk any promises now, Sah-gent. Wesa need to get oursan people to safety. Wesa promised Rep Brand-ess that wesa bring hersa and the _sprattling_s to Tendesay, and wesan done thiss'n. The most my can promise yousan now is that my will tell oursan generals an' Bosses that yousan asked for help. Mebbe theysa 'gree to thiss'n, mebbe not. My no know. But my will ask." 

Berendar nodded. "I understand, Captain. I guess that will have to do for now." 

~*~*~*~ 

"How is she, Lieutenant?" Tarpals asked. He, Rell Iss, and Peskis stood inside one of the abandoned buildings that had been cleared of most of its furnishings. The medics had set up a field hospital and were tending to the last of the wounded. 

The Ankuran gazed over at Orrin, who lay asleep on the stretcher the humans had provided. "It was touchy for a while, but she's strong, and determined. I think she really wants another chance to strike at the _maccaneeks_." He grinned, then sobered. "She'll pull through, but I don't think we can take her with us back to the Sacred Place. The _Naaboos'_ flying platform can carry her more gently than we can, even if we rig a sling between the remaining two _falumpasets_." 

"So you're saying we should leave her with the _Naaboo_?" Tarpals asked. 

"For the time being, yes," Peskis replied. "They're leaving this area, but I don't think they're going far. They seem to have another hiding place picked out. The two female _Naaboo tsanin_, Saché and H'yané, have offered to help take care of her. I think it would be a good idea. That way we could even leave Orrin's _kaadu_ with the _Naaboo_, and know that he will be cared for properly." He drew himself up slightly. "And I will volunteer to stay with her as well. That way I can see to her care personally, and perhaps provide Sergeant Berendar and his people with some of the training they've requested." 

Tarpals hesitated. It was a fair ride back to the forest, and another three days to the Sacred Place if all went well. The Gungans had plenty of supplies, however, and would be able to ride through the night now that they had only one family of civilians with them. Despite the relatively friendly reception he had received from the Naaboo, his first duty was to rejoin his people. His Patrol's experiences would be invaluable in the ongoing struggle against the _maccaneeks_ and their masters. 

"Very well," Tarpals said. "You are released from my command and may work among the _Naaboo_ in whatever capacity you choose." Peskis bowed slightly. "Should the generals and the Governors' Council agree to work with the _Naaboo_, I'll expect a full report, Lieutenant." 

"Yes, Captain." 

"May the gods watch over you." 

Peskis's mouth twitched in an odd smile. "Thank you, Captain. That would be immensely helpful." 

~*~*~*~ 

The knife's tip carved a curved line in the stone's surface. Herns glanced up at Hela Brandes's approach, then back to his work. The human woman sat nearby on the steps of what had been a house's porch, and watched him carve for a while. 

Herns worked in silence, eyes on the stone. The curved line looped around upon itself twice before the Gungan laid the knife aside and blew on the stone to clear the loose particles away. Then he picked up the knife and began carving a second symbol. 

Brandes watched without speaking. Just when she started to rise, the Gungan spoke, eyes still on his work. "Mekkin' a _dessana il-parntar_. Called 'stone of mem'ry' in _Bassic_, mesa thinks." He finally looked up at her. 

The human nodded. Herns continued, "Wesa tekk dese into Sacred Place and hang dem up, onna tree or bush or stone." He angled the stone so she could see the symbols. "Diss'n the boy's nemm, as best my can spell hims. Mesa gonna put hole heah —" he tapped the end of the stone with the knife tip "— an' put cord t'rue. Wesa remember all oursan dead dissa way. Wesa cah-ve nemms, or shape the stone into some-att theysa liked. Den wesa put dem in Sacred Place, long wit' theysan body." He turned his attention back to his carving. "Gott'n no other way to 'pologize for bullyin' hims," Herns admitted finally, his voice barely carrying above the sounds of the knife scraping. 

Brandes sat for a moment, then reached forward and carefully touched the Gungan's shoulder. "We've all done and said things we shouldn't have, Herns. We've all mistrusted each other for a long time. And it's difficult, being a teenager. For whatever it's worth, I appreciate your willingness to do this for Edvic. It's an honor." 


	17. Chapter 17

Typho, supervising the loading of supplies into a trio of speeders, turned to face the Gungans approaching him. He had yet to learn the names of the rest of Tarpals's command, but he recognized the adult Gungans as belonging to some sort of family unit. He nodded politely to them.  
  
"The little-un, Zanté," said the closest Gungan in a female voice. "Yousa knowin' any'ting 'bout hersa fam'ly?" She indicated the girl, who sat in the grass with Arlan and the two Gungan children, the older of whom still bore a bruise on the side of his face. The youngsters had been given several toys and other items salvaged from some of the houses, with the instructions to keep busy and out of the way as the adults and older children packed supplies.  
  
The human lieutenant shook his head. "I'm sorry. All we know is that they're not here. If she was being transported somewhere by droids, her parents are probably prisoners in one of the internment camps. Right now, we have no way of finding out."  
  
"Wesa talked it over," the female continued, glancing to either side of her at the other two Gungans. "Wesa want to tekk hersa wit' ussan."  
  
Typho stared at her. "You can't be serious. She's not a Gungan," he pointed out. "She belongs here, with her people. We'll do our best to find her parents if we can."  
  
"Shesa belongin' where shesa wanted," the female argued. "Wesa willin' to tekk care'n hersa, give hersa fam'ly." She pointed to Typho. "Yousan all goin' to find place to hide, mebbe attack the _maccaneeks_ again. Wesan –" here she indicated the other two adults with her "—goin' to Sacred Place – diss'n safest place anywhere. Wesan tekk Zanté 'way from danger."  
  
Typho hesitated. One of the other Gungans cocked its head, then turned toward the group of children and suddenly whistled through its teeth. The children all looked up (as did the other humans in the area); the Gungan pointed at Zanté, and then made a couple of gestures. The girl rose and walked over to him; Plirri toddled over after her, Temmis trailing behind. The Gungan crouched down to her eye level, and then made a series of gestures with its hand. The girl watched solemnly, then nodded. As the Gungan straightened, the human reached up to take its hand and stood blinking at Typho.  
  
"What was that all about?" the lieutenant asked.  
  
The female replied, "Hesa h'asked her iff'n she wanted to come with ussan. Shesa 'greed."  
  
"She's not old enough to make that decision," Typho said.  
  
"Den mebbe wesa h'ask Rep Brand-ess, yiss?" the female suggested.  
  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
  
"Are you coming with us?" asked Arlan. He was lying on his stomach in the grass, looking up at Peskis, who was bending over him.  
  
"Yiss, the kippton said my'm allowed to stay wit' yousan," Peksis told him. He tilted his head to study the boy's actions. "What do yousa hev dere?"  
  
"They're coloring sticks. I found them in one of the houses," Arlan replied. "You draw pictures with them. See?" He held up a thin, flat material; the picture showed three figures that had ovals for ears and long faces – Gungans. The three seemed to be standing on the top of a mountain. One of the figures held a cup and was pouring a blue liquid out of it. "The Captain told us the story about how A'Pensik made the water spill so it would fill up most of Naboo!" Arlan explained.  
  
Peskis laughed. "Yiss, yiss, A'Pensik, hesa allus meddling. Inna ever't'ing. Kipps ever'one's life interestin', even the _Naaboo_. When the fust _Naaboo_ kemm to diss world, A'Pensik went to meet dem. Wanted to see what deysa wuss. But da _Naaboo_, deysa frighted of hissan, didn' know what hesa wuss. An' deysa hedd weapons, so deysa shot at himsa. Berry bad. T'ought all'n the _Guungans_ wuss dang'rous, an' fought wit' dem. O'mas, shesa berry unhappy wit' dat. Shesa banished A'Pensik to diss'n world. Here hesa to stay, 'till hesa medd up for what hesa done."  
  
"That's sad," Arlan said.  
  
"Mebbe iss'n not so bad, eh?" Peskis said. "Diss'n nice world, lott'n t'ings to see an' do. Kipp even a god busy. But da legend sess A'Pensik, hesa be 'llowed to go home when da _Naaboo_ an' _Guungans_ finally stop fightin' an' work together. Mebbe bein' soon, mesa t'inks."  
  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
  
"Orrin," said Saché in a low voice. "There's someone here to see you."  
  
The Gungan's eyes opened halfway. "Captain," she croaked, head and shoulders rolling against the bed as she attempted to sit up.  
  
"Lie down, Lieutenant. That's an order," Tarpals tapped her shoulder with a forefinger. Orrin sank back against the pillow. The humans had placed her in the same building as the rest of the wounded.  
  
Saché stood up. "Excuse me." She walked to the other side of the room, giving the Gungans their privacy.  
  
"Sir, I'm sorry."  
  
"Why? You were injured in battle, defending a colleague. There's nothing to be sorry for," Tarpals told her. "I didn't think the _Naaboo_ had it in them. Even Rep Brand-ess fought."  
  
Orrin goggled at him. "She did? And I missed it?"  
  
Tarpals snorted in amusement. "She did, and you did. You can ask her about it when you're stronger."  
  
"But –"  
  
"You're staying here, Lieutenant. You're in no condition to travel."  
  
Orrin closed her eyes and turned her head away. "Yes, sir," she whispered.  
  
"I'm assigning you the job of military advisor to the _Naaboo_," Tarpals continued. "The gods know they need one...."  
  
Orrin opened her eyes and stared at him. Tarpals continued. "Lieutenant Peskis will remain with you, both to tend your injuries and to assist you with training the _Naaboo_." The captain tilted his head back and squinted at her thoughtfully. "Of course, to acknowledge your increased responsibility, and your exemplary actions in battle, you are hereby promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, Senior Grade. The next time _naamana-rissah_ Artil gives you grief, you now have sufficient rank to box his ears for him."  
  
Orrin's mouth opened and closed twice before she managed, "I – thank you, Captain!"  
  
"The _Naaboo_ have suggested the idea of working together with us," Tarpals continued. "Although from what I've seen, they're not going to do us much good. I don't envy you your job, Lieutenant – most of them seem to be at the same level of Rep Brand-ess and the _sprattlings_ were when we first met them. You've got a lot of work to do, once you've recovered."  
  
"Do you think the Generals and the Governors' Council will agree to working with the _Naaboo_?"  
  
Tarpals grimaced. "As a group, no. Individually.... perhaps. I've promised to pass the _Naaboos_' idea on to our leaders. I can't say I see much point to it, all things considered. However, I suppose that many of _Naaboo_ can eventually learn to fight. Whether they will do so in time to do us any good or not remains to be seen."  
  
  
~*~*~*~ 

  
  
When Tarpals emerged from the temporary infirmary, he found most of his command assembled, facing off against a group of the _Naaboo_. Kimma Nril and her family, including Zanté, were clustered together in the middle of the knot of Gungans. Berendar, Typho, and nearly a dozen other humans stood opposite them. Berendar was arguing with Kimma.  
  
As Tarpals approached, the female's _haillu_ suddenly rose and spread slightly; the humans tensed, although none of them seemed inclined to raise their weapons.  
  
"Maybe you can help us straighten this out, Captain," Berendar suggested.  
  
"Captain, they want to take Zanté away from us!" Kimma protested in High Gungan as Tarpals walked up to her.  
  
"This, ah, lady is demanding to take one of the children with her when your people leave," Berendar continued.  
  
"She said she wants to stay with us," Kimma insisted. Tarpals glanced at the girl, who was holding Hanar's hand with both of hers.  
  
"P'raps wesan could settle diss'n once an' for all," came Peskis's voice. The Ankuran eased his way through the crowd and crouched down in front of Zanté. "A'fore yousa kemm to travel wit' ussan, yousa saw what happened to yoursa fam'ly, yiss?"  
  
Zanté huddled against Hanar's leg, and Sen Tal knelt beside her to put both hands on her shoulders. Finally the girl nodded. "Da _maccaneeks_, deysa took yousa and yoursa parents 'way, didn't dey?" Another nod. Then she let go of Hanar and made two signs. "Yoursa _maatra_ and _paatra_," Peskis translated. Zanté doubled up her fists, punching at the air wildly.  
  
"I'm guessing that's the sign for fighting?" Typho suggested.  
  
"Yiss. Deysa fought da _maccaneeks_?" Peskis continued.  
  
Zanté nodded. Tears welled up in her eyes. She curled up her fist and extended the index finger forward and her thumb upward in an obvious sign of a gun. Her hand jerked twice, imitating a weapon firing.  
  
"My God," Brandes whispered. "They must have been killed resisting capture."  
  
"An' da _maccaneeks_ made yousa go wit' Rep Brand-ess, yiss?" Peskis said. Zanté nodded, wiping the heel of her hand over her face.  
  
"And left the bodies of her parents...." Berendar's voice trailed off.  
  
"No wonder she's been silent," Brandes murmured.  
  
Kimma Nril hissed at Berendar, then knelt beside her _essoans_ and gathered Zanté up in her arms. The girl clung to the Gungan and buried her face in Kimma's neck. Brandes reached over and placed both hands on Zanté's shoulders in a comforting gesture. Both humans and Gungans stood in silence.  
  
"I think, Sergeant, that it would be best to allow Kimma and her family to take Zanté with them," Brandes said heavily. "They're the closest thing she's going to have to a family, and from what I've heard, I think that the Sacred Place will be safer than anywhere we're going. If I thought they'd be allowed, I'd send the rest of the children with them as well."  
  
Berendar turned to Tarpals. "Your people wouldn't consider giving our children sanctuary?"  
  
"My ken't say," Tarpals replied. "Many of oursan folk iss berry angry wit' yousan right now. Wesan tekk Zanté with ussan, an' my will ask 'bout thiss'n 'long with the idee of fighting togeth-ah. Thass the best my kenn promise."  
  
Berendar nodded. "All right. We're leaving Tendesay and pulling back to Segglissan – that's a couple of towns east." He pointed the direction out to the Gungan; Tarpals noted that it was the direction from which the sun rose in the morning. "We'll be gathering as many of our people together as we can. If your leaders agree to working with us, you'll be able to find us there."  
  
"Berry good, Sah-gent."  
  
"Good luck to you, Captain." Berendar drew himself up and saluted.  
  
"An' yousa, Sah-gent." Tarpals returned the gesture, nodded to Typho, and turned to Brandes as the two men strode away toward the convoy of humans that had assembled.  
  
"Captain, I can't thank you and your people enough," Brandes began. The rest of the children clustered around them.  
  
"Line h'up," Tarpals instructed them. The children formed a line. The Gungan clasped both hands behind his back and stared at them down his nose, looking for all the world as though he were reviewing troops instead of a handful of _Naaboo_ youngsters.  
  
"When wesa train oursan children, theys learn the same things yousan did," he began. "At the end of theirsan training, each one iss given a liddle circle with a string so theysan kenn wear them." Over his shoulder he told Rell Iss in High Gungan, "Call the order to form ranks, at attention." Rell Iss blew the notes, and the Gungans assembled into four rows.  
  
Tarpals turned back to the line of humans. "Mesa 'fraid wesa don' hev any of them here with ussan," he continued. "However, yousan now all part of the Third Mounted Pah-trol's h'expanded command. Yoursan job iss to continue yoursan training with Sah-gent Berendar an' hissan troops, an' to mekk sure _naamanas_ Orrin and Peskis stay out'n trouble." All of the children grinned at that. "Yousan gonna be busy with that, mesa thinks." Tarpals remarked, deadpan. Then he raised his voice. "Yousan hev all completed yoursan fust training with honors. Yousan he-ah by diss'missed." He turned his head and switched to High Gungan. "Riders, honor salute."  
  
The Patrol members and _militiagungs_ with _cestas_ and _electropoles_ drew their weapons, then whipped the poles up, tips a fingers-width from their eyes, and whipped them down again.  
  
Arlan saluted, and Melni, Irric, Nalla, Yané and Saché copied the gesture. For a few moments, both groups stared at each other, unwilling to break the camaraderie they had finally achieved. Then Tarpals squared his shoulders. "Diss'missed," he repeated.  
  
Arlan darted forward to hug him around the waist.  
  
Several Gungans snickered. Tarpals sighed, then instructed over his shoulder, "Break ranks," and both Gungans and humans mingled freely for a few moments. Tarpals patted Arlan on the back and the boy let go, scampering to Rell Iss.  
  
"So much for a dignified exit," Brandes remarked dryly.  
  
Tarpals tilted his head in a shrug. "Theysa _sprattlings_."  
  
"And I hope they return to being '_sprattlings_' again soon, with this invasion over." She glanced over her shoulder at the convoy of humans, most of whom had already climbed aboard their vehicles. Then she turned back to Tarpals. "Be safe, Captain," she whispered. Tarpals inclined his head in a bow; impulsively, Brandes reached up and put both arms around his shoulders. The Gungan hesitated, and then carefully copied her gesture, arms around her ribs and his long face resting on her opposite shoulder. A few moments later he let go.  
  
Brandes found Temmis at her elbow. "Yousa gonna be all right?" Temmis asked, a hopeful tone in his voice.  
  
"We'll do our best, Temmis, thank you." Brandes reached down and squeezed his shoulder. "Take good care of Zanté now."  
  
"Wesan all be watchin' out for hersa," Temmis assured her solemnly. Brandes leaned over and hugged him briefly.  
  
"I'm glad we became friend, Temmis," she said. "When this is over, I hope we can see you again."  
  
"Wesa bring Zanté to visit," Temmis replied. He trotted over to his family, pausing once to wave at her.  
  
"All right, everyone, over to the convoy," Brandes called. The children reluctantly separated from the Gungans, who began mounting their _kaadu_. Brandes paused at the entrance to the transport; her gaze found Zanté, sitting behind Kimma with both arms around the Gungan's waist. The girl let go long enough to wave, a gesture Brandes returned.  
  
Tarpals, astride his own mount, peered at the _Naaboo_ vehicles, finally locating Peskis's form perched on the rail of an open transport. The Ankuran reached over to tap the side of the vehicle next to him, and a moment later Orrin's face appeared at the window. She managed a salute; Tarpals sat at attention and touched the tip of his _electropole_ to the spot between his eyes. _Gods go with you both_, he thought. _May they ride with us all, until this war ends._  
  
A few minutes later both groups departed from Tendesay, the humans to the east and the Gungans to the south.  
  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
  
It had, Tarpals reflected wearily, been a long and strange journey.  
  
Two days after leaving Tendesay, the remnants of the Third Mounted Patrol, supplemented by _militiagungs_ and escorting a family of civilians, reached the low, spongy moor leading to the Sacred Place that served Otoh Gunga. They had been met by a scouting party and escorted into the sanctuary. Tarpals had kept them all together, ordering everyone to make camp until he could speak with General Ceel, his immediate superior, and Governor Rugor Nass.  
  
Tobler Ceel, several years older than Tarpals and also career military, came striding out of the mists, led by one of the scouts. General Yoss walked a step behind him with several aides in tow, and following them at a trot came Ven Artil and two other members of the Third Mounted Patrol. Tarpals drew himself up and saluted, a gesture both Ceel and Yoss returned.  
  
Ceel's grey-blue skin was dark against the mist; like Tarpals, he sported a set of whiskery growths on his upper lip, a sign of later maturity among Gungan males. "Captain Tarpals! You have no idea how pleased we are to see you and the rest of your command!" He gestured around at the Gungans assembled behind the Captain. "Welcome, all of you! I'm sure that you all wish to rejoin your respective units or families. We'll see that you do so at the soonest opportunity." He spoke over his shoulder to the aides, who moved among Tarpals's command to gather names and other information. Ceel turned back to Tarpals. "Captain, I'm sure you and your people will want to rest, but you understand that I'll want your report as soon as possible. To be honest, we'd almost given you up for lost."  
  
"We were forced to circle rather widely to avoid the droid army, and to.... take care of some other business," Tarpals said. "As soon as I see to my mount and command, General, I'll be ready to report."  
  
Ceel and Yoss glanced at each other. "Very good, Captain," Ceel said. "Senior Lieutenant Artil knows where the command center is located. We'll await your arrival."  
  
Ven Artil waited until both officers had disappeared into the mists; then he straightened his back and saluted. Tarpals imitated the gesture, and then aimed a slap at his second-in-command's face, which Artil blocked, grinning. The lieutenant seized both of Tarpals's upper arms and shook him, and for a moment the two indulged in a pushing and wrestling contest that served as both a welcome and test of physical fitness.  
  
At last Tarpals stepped back. "The rest of the Third?"  
  
"Fighting fit," Artil replied briskly. "Ceel's been keeping us busy with guard duty and some scouting forays. I'm sure he'll fill you in. He and General Yoss have been sending patrols to see how much damage the _maccaneeks_ have done. Our people are still straggling in from various settlements. Some have brought messages from other shrines – many of them are full of refugees. The smaller villages and homesteads seem to have suffered the least. I would guess that the _maccaneeks_ attacked mostly the large cities, expecting to disorganize us."  
  
"And they've succeeded, at least temporarily," Tarpals remarked. "Any word from the Matawba settlement?"  
  
Artil shook his head. "No. I'm sorry, but nothing. They could arrive tomorrow, they could arrive in an eight-day. We're sending word to the other Sacred Places that any of the groups who can travel under cover should prepare to journey here, at least temporarily."  
  
"And your family?"  
  
Artil clenched his teeth and turned his head aside. "Yr and the _sprattlings_ are here, but Quin – Quin didn't make it out of Otoh Gunga." Tarpals reach forward and gripped Artil's shoulder in silent sympathy. Quin Artil had been Ven's second _essoin_, a practical female with a dry sense of humor. As one of the city's emergency response personnel, she would have been assisting in the final evacuation.  
  
Artil opened his eyes and peered beseechingly at Tarpals. "Tell me you've discovered some weakness of the _maccaneeks_, something we can use to stop them. They've shattered so many families....."  
  
"I think we may have discovered several things that will allow us a fighting chance against these invaders," Tarpals said. He gripped both of Artil's shoulders. "We'll stop them, Ven. Somehow."  
  
One of Ceel's aides materialized at Tarpals's side. "We're done here, Captain. You may dismiss them."  
  
Tarpals nodded in acknowledgement and stepped past the aide to face the Gungans who had followed him from Otoh Gunga to Tendesay, and finally here to the Sacred Place. A ragged circle of faces returned his gaze.  
  
"An eight-day ago, we assembled as a group of refugees, cut off from our people and our homes. In the time we have traveled together, we have set aside our differences and learned to work together and support one another. We have all grown and changed. We have all survived because of each other. And we have proven that even in times of danger, struggle and grief, our people retain our ability to draw together, even setting aside our differences with the _Naaboo_ in order to defeat a common enemy." He could almost hear Ven Artil's mouth fall open in astonishment at the last sentence.  
  
"In a moment, you will all be released to rejoin your families. I wanted to tell you that you have all acquitted yourselves with honor and courage, and my report to the Generals and the Governors will reflect that. You have earned a place in the grand stories of our people, which will be told for generations to come." He paused to gaze once more around the circle, making a point of meeting each pair of eyes. "You are hereby dismissed to your families and commands. Go with honor and pride."  
  
For a moment Tarpals braced himself, wondering if this group would dissolve into a round of hugging and backslapping as they had in Tendesay when he had dismissed the _Naaboo_ members.  
  
"All command members," came Rell Iss's voice from the back of the group, "present formal salute!" He drew himself up, grinning.  
  
The Gungans before Tarpals snapped to attention, including the two youngest members of the Nril family, and saluted almost as one.  
  
"Captain," said Kimma Nril, where she stood holding the reins of one of the _kaadu_, "it's been an honor serving with you." A murmur of assent ran through the group.  
  
Tarpals squared his shoulders. "Likewise, all." He bowed. "May the gods go with you." 


	18. Chapter 18

Late afternoon sun filtered through the leaves as Tarpals made his way to his meeting with the Governors and command staff.  
  
Otoh Gunga's shrine, filled with shallow pools and hillocks, covered an area as large as the city itself. Mysterious stones, carved in the likeness of enormous faces, reared up out of the pools and ground. Around, and sometimes upon, these stones grew slender trees with their broad, flat leaves, as well as thin reeds and grasses. The leaf canopy overhead allowed only intermittent rays of sunlight through – this was one place that was safe from the _maccaneeks_' spy equipment, at least for now. The humid air was full of the sounds of wildlife and the scents of dozens of plants.  
  
The Governors had set up a place in the center of the shrine, a hilly circle surrounded by the statuary. The area was full of the Governors and their Rep Councilors, Generals and their staff members, and some of the more prominent Clan representatives. Tarpals grimaced inwardly; he'd made plenty of public presentations before, but that didn't mean he had to like it. Nevertheless.....  
  
Rugor Nass, Governor of Otoh Gunga and head of the Governors' Council, sat cross-legged on the ground before a partially buried statue. Beside him sat Rep Jidra Teers, Chief Engineer of Otoh Gungan, and Rep Ivor Been, Keeper of Records; behind them sat or stood the rest of the Rep Council. Ceel and a dozen of the army's Generals stood off to the left; Governor Ossa Krenard of Otoh Dinistallis, the largest of the ocean cities, sat with the rest of the Governors on the right. Behind Tarpals, completing the circle, sat a group of Shrine Keepers, the spiritual guardians and advisors of the Gungans.  
  
Ceel stepped down from his place in the circle. "Honorable Governors, Advisors, Generals, and others, the remainder of the Third Mounted Patrol of Otoh Gunga has at last found its way to our Sacred Place. They have survived a difficult journey, and we are both relieved and gratified by their safe arrival. Captain Roos Tarpals, their commanding officer, is here to present his report of their travels."  
  
"Thank you, General," Tarpals said gravely, and launched into a description of his Patrol's activities. The group was silent through his account of the battle of Lake Paonga and the attack on the _maccaneek_ transport. At Tarpals's report of finding the _Naaboo_ children and agreeing to escort them to Tendesay, many of the group members gasped, and murmurs of conversation ran along the circle. Tarpals continued with his account, describing the disagreements, struggles, adventures, training sessions, and the final battle outside the _Naaboo_ town of Tendesay. By the time the narrative was done, most of the Governors, and no few of the Generals, were staring at Tarpals open-mouthed.  
  
"The remaining free _Naaboo_ have asked for our help," Tarpals concluded. "Their ability to fight these _maccaneeks_ is limited. I have left two of our people behind to train them, but they will need much more. I promised to relay their request to our leaders." He inclined his head slightly, signaling that his report was finished.  
  
"Who is in charge of the _Naaboo_?" asked one of the generals.  
  
"Sah-gent Barr-en-dar appears to be the highest ranking officer in their security force. Except for Rep Brand-ess, the rest of their leadership is scattered – their Queen has fled the planet, and most of their civilian authorities seem to be prisoners. The group at Tendesay was rather small, although I don't believe it was the whole of their forces."  
  
"Thank you, Captain," Ceel said. "However, while you've been on your way here, we have been scouting the situation with the _maccaneek_ army. The _maccaneeks_ seem to be concentrating their efforts on the _Naaboo_ territory; after their initial strike at our cities, they have left us alone. If you what you say is true, this is partly because we are under cover and therefore cannot be seen by their sky _farseeins_. We are safe enough for the present as long as we stay under the shelter of the trees." Ceel turned to address the circle as a whole. "As you know, members of the different settlements have been arriving here at the Sacred Place daily – I dare say that most of us have assembled at last. The rest of the Generals and I have been planning a series of hit and run strategies, meant to harry and confuse the _maccaneeks_. With our civilians hidden deep in the swamps, we can move companies of soldiers and riders to the edges of our borders and strike at the _maccaneeks_." He paused; many of the Governors and Generals were nodding in agreement.  
  
"And the _Naaboo_?" Tarpals asked.  
  
Ceel tilted his head back and to one side. "I don't believe we have any need to involve the _Naaboo_ in any of our strikes."  
  
"The _maccaneek_ army is here _because_ of the _Naabo_o," rumbled Nass, leaning forward and peering down at Tarpals. "Let the _Naaboo_ see what it is liked to be pushed out of their homes by invaders, the way our ancestors were when the _Naaboo_ first came to this world." Most of the Governors nodded or murmured in agreement.  
  
"And what of the _Naaboo sprattlings_?" asked Tarpals. "What have these young ones done to deserve imprisonment and starvation?"  
  
"Perhaps their parents should have thought of that before they brought this army of invaders down on us," one of the Governors grumbled. "Our own children have experienced hunger and deprivation. We have to care for them first."  
  
"We don't have the resources for both our own people and the _Naaboo_," commented one of Nass's advisors. "This many people in our Sacred Place is straining our food supplies; our hunters and gatherers are constantly searching for edibles. This shrine isn't equipped to hold this many people for more than a few days, even with citizens from other settlements bringing food and materials with them as they arrive."  
  
"We owe our efforts to our own people first," Ceel agreed.  
  
_I need Treece here for this_, Tarpals thought. The Shrine Keeper from Tanoh Matawba had a knack for convincing people, generally through negotiation, although she had been known to use a well-place slap from time to time.  
  
He caught Rep Teer's eye; the engineer had been on the Governor's Council for many years, and had frequently been an ally in Tarpals's disagreements with Nass in the past. At the moment, Teers was regarding Tarpals with an amused look on her face that quickly faded to thoughtfulness. "Esteemed Shrine Keepers, Governors and Generals, may I suggest that we continue to gather our people together and allow the Generals to complete their battle plans? Once they have finished, perhaps we can meet again to discuss the idea of involving the _Naaboo_ further. In the meantime, let us reassure our people that we are doing everything we can to return them to their homes and ways of life as quickly as possible."  
  
After a few more minutes of discussion, the Governors agreed, and the group began to disperse. Tarpals made a point of approaching Teers. "Thank you, Repsanna."  
  
The female cocked her head and smiled at him. "Will wonders never cease? I never thought I'd see the day that Roos Tarpals advocated dealing with the _Naaboo_," she remarked dryly. "That in itself would have been enough to convince me to intercede for you." She slid one hand into the curve of his elbow. "Come, you can tell me more about these _sprattlings_ and their guardians on our way back to your command. I don't think I've ever heard such a detailed report on the _Naaboo_ – at least, not from anyone as reputable as you are....."  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Three days later, Tarpals found himself staring down at a small _Naaboo_ female with a white face, surrounded by a nervous gaggle of attendants, and wondered if this meeting was what the gods had intended all along. If so, the Gungan was unimpressed.  
  
"I am Queen Amidala, of the Naboo," the female intoned, craning her neck to stare back up at him. "I wish to meet with your leaders to discuss the invaders and how to rid our world of them."  
  
_I daresay you do_, Tarpals thought sourly. _So, you are the so-called "leader" who fled the planet while your people starved and your children watched their parents die in captivity. After lifetimes of ignoring us, now you want to talk._  
  
"I believe we have a plan that will force the droid army and its masters to relinquish – to give up their hold on Naboo, and free both our peoples."  
  
_I know what 'relinquish' means_, the Gungan captain thought as he glanced sideways at Ven Artil, then back at the Queen. _And this world's name isn't 'Naboo'. You're an arrogant lot, all of you, and if it weren't for the small group of your people we left in Tendesay, I'd truss up the lot of you and leave you in the grasslands for the _maccaneeks_ to find. But your offspring deserve better than that._ He leaned forward in the saddle. _And you did return, after all. I suppose that says something for your courage, at least._  
  
A single Gungan had led the group of humans through the mist to the outskirts of the Sacred Place – a Gungan that many of the Third Mounted Patrol's members had no desire to ever see again. Jar Jar Binks lowered his eyestalks sheepishly and said in _Bassi_c, "Heddoe, Captain Tarpals."  
  
"Binks. Gods help us," one of the other riders muttered out of earshot. "I thought we'd seen the last of him."  
  
"Of course not," Artil muttered. "Binks is like a fungal-rash; it's embarrassing, annoying, and never completely goes away. The best you can hope for is that it will go into remission."  
  
"Enough," Tarpals said wearily. He turned to Jar Jar and continued in High Gungan. "Why did you bring them here, Jar Jar? Even if the _Naaboo_ were welcome here, which they're not, you know what the Governor will do to you when he sees you. "  
  
Jar Jar glanced from one rider to another, his _haillu_ lowered and his neck retracted to the point where his head almost rested on his shoulders – a Gungan gesture of submission. "The Queen thinks she has a way to get rid of the _maccaneeks_," he replied tentatively. "She says that by working together, we can beat their army. But she needed to talk to the Governors. I – I knew this was where everyone would be." He grinned weakly. "I thought we should at least hear her plan."  
  
Artil snorted. "Thinking isn't exactly one of Binks's strengths, is it?" he muttered to Tarpals. The Captain silently studied first Binks, then the Queen's companions. Most of them were trying to look harmless, except for one dark-skinned male who was gazing around at the Patrol members with a watchful eye and an almost defiant expression. Tarpals indicated him to Artil with a jerk of his head.  
  
"Look at that one – he seems to be the only warrior in the herd," Tarpals remarked. "He reminds me of the _Naaboo_ we met in Tendesay. I'd say he's sizing us up, wouldn't you?"  
  
"He doesn't seem to like the looks of us, does he? Either that or he's just swallowed something very sour," Artil observed. "Well, at least one of them seems to have a backbone. Are we really going to take them to Nass and the Governors' Council?"  
  
Tarpals straightened in the saddle. "The _Naaboo_ we traveled with knew about the _maccaneeks_. If it hadn't been for them, I doubt any of us would have arrived here safely. This Queen may indeed have a plan that will help us. We'll escort them to at least the edge of the Sacred Place, and let Nass decide what to do with them from there." With a couple of hand gestures, he instructed the patrol to surround the _Naaboo_. The expression on Artil's face suggested that he thought this action to be a mistake, but he remained silent. With a last scowl at Jar Jar Binks, he turned his _kaadu_ in the direction of the Sacred Place.  
  
"Wesa tekken yousan to the Bosses," Tarpals told the _Naaboo_ Queen and her party. "Theysan decide to do with yousan." To Jar Jar, he added in High Gungan, "I'm afraid you're going to regret this, Jar Jar."  
  
"So are the rest of us," Artil muttered, careful to pitch his voice low enough so his captain couldn't hear him.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
"I don't believe it," Ven Artil gasped. "Nass **agreed** to work with the _Naaboo_!"  
  
"It would appear so," Tarpals remarked. "Now the trick will be in getting everyone together in one place."  
  
"No doubt the _Naaboo_ will expect us to do that for them."  
  
"No doubt. However, we at least know where to start looking for the rest of their people, which is more than can be said for the Queen and her advisors." He and Artil approached the small knot of humans and Gungans, among them the Queen, who, it turned out, had not been the female with the white face at all, but one who had been disguised as a servant. She and Nass were talking with the dark-skinned male, who had been introduced as "Panaaka". This real Queen had been a surprise – strong-willed and charismatic, she had literally begged the Gungans for help on bended knee. Even Tarpals, who had seen numerous examples of political posturing during his time as Otoh Gunga's Patrol Chief, had to admit the gesture had gone a long way toward changing many of his people's minds.  
  
His own estimation of the Queen had gone up a few notches as well. As Rep Brand-ess had said, Queen Amidala had gone to a distant place to bring back allies, only to be refused and put off, and had returned with a small group and a single hope – alliance with the race her people had mistrusted for centuries. _Of course, it had never occurred to any of them to ask us for help at the start_, Tarpals thought. _If they had, though, I suspect we would have utterly rejected them, and my voice would likely have been among the loudest. The Queen can thank a group of sprattlings and a small handful of adults for the change in attitude._  
  
"We have a plan to defeat the droid army," Amidala was saying as the two Gungans approached. "But we'll need a larger group of my own people than just us to make part of this plan work." She paused and smiled at the two Gungans who had strode up while she was speaking. Both nodded politely, and the Queen continued. "We'll need to find where our people are being held and free some of them."  
  
Nass glanced at Tarpals. The Queen followed his gaze.  
  
"Yoursa pardon, Your Honors. Theysa group of _Naaboo_ still free and fighting the _maccaneeks_," Tarpals said. The Queen's eyebrows rose and her smile was one of relief.  
  
"You've seen them?"  
  
"Theysan at Tendesay, heading for Segg-lissan," Tarpals said.  
  
"How do you know that?" Panaka demanded.  
  
"Tha'ss where wesan left them," Tarpals replied. "Yousa want to talk to them, yousa goin' there. Wesa gott'a way for yousa to gett'n there," Tarpals replied. He eyed Panaka critically. "Iss not gonna be easy."  
  
"That doesn't matter. The important thing is to get there and make contact with our people."  
  
The Gungan stared at him, then nodded. "Wesa do oursa best, then." He turned slightly. "Rell Iss."  
  
Rell Iss, who as usual had been hovering within earshot, stepped to his side, and the rest of their conversation was held in High Gungan. "Find General Yoss. Give her my compliments, and ask if we may borrow Corporal Surith Herns—" here he glanced back at Panaka "—and a pair of _falumpasets_."  
  
Rell Iss's gaze flicked from Tarpals to Panaka and back. "Yes, sir!" He was grinning when he left, leaving the humans to wonder what had just happened.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
The following afternoon, the number of _Naaboo_ in the Gungan encampment increased dramatically as several speeders' worth of Berendar's fighters glided to a halt at the edge of the Sacred Place's camouflaging forest. Tarpals watched them arrive as he and the on-duty members of the Third came in from patrol. By the time the Gungans had unsaddled and fed their _kaadu_, the initial meeting between Nass, Amidala, Panaka and the two _hue-mins_ known as _Zhed-hi_ had concluded, and the group was dispersing.  
  
Panaka caught Tarpals's eye as he and Rell Iss approached the meadow where the _Naaboo_ were unloading their speeders and transports. "My see yousa found them all right," Tarpals remarked.  
  
"Your scout has a unique method of riding," Panaka responded. "Or is it common practice for you people to hang underneath the _falumpaset_s when they're moving?"  
  
"No. Mesa warned yousa thiss wass not going to be easy. That wuss only way wesa found to hide from _maccaneek_ sky-eyes." He looked Panaka up and down. "Yousa semmed liken the toughest of the _Naaboo_ with the Queen. My don't think the rest of them would hev made it. Thought yousa would."  
  
A suspicious look flitted across Panaka's face, as though he was sifting through Tarpals's words to see if they were really intended as a compliment. Finally he responded grudgingly, "Thank you. I think."  
  
"Oursan people always thought the _Naaboo_ wuss weak, frightened," Tarpals said. "Lott'n yousan tougher than wesa thought. Mebbe yousa turn out to be warriors yet, eh?"  
  
Panaka nodded slowly. "Maybe we will." He eyed the Gungans for a moment. "The only members of your race I've ever dealt with were thieves and troublemakers. But I heard what you and your riders did for Minister Brandes and the children, not to mention our forces at Tendesay. Maybe there's more to you folks than we've always thought."  
  
"Mebbe there iss." Tarpals cocked his head at Panaka. "Good soak in one-a the hot pools in the Sacred Place hepps mekk ever'thing stop hurting after long-o day's ride," he added.  
  
"Captain!" came Amidala's voice. Both officers turned. "Nass wants us to brief a group of Gungan generals and other leaders."  
  
"I think it's going to be a while before I have time for a soak," Panaka said dryly. "But thanks anyway." He nodded and strode away. The Gungan glanced at the two _Naaboo_ females with Amidala; both girls grinned and came running, passing Panaka on the way. Saché and Yané halted an arm's length away and saluted, still grinning. "We didn't want to embarrass you in front of the troops by hugging you," Saché said. "Hello, Rell Iss." The aide nodded politely.  
  
"Thought you'd gotten rid of us for good, didn't you, Captain?" Yané teased. "I guess you could have saved some time by just bringing us here with you."  
  
"By the way, we have something for you," Saché added. She held out a lightweight material that was rolled up and tied with a string. "It's from Arlan. We promised we'd give it to you."  
  
"It's called 'flimsy'," Yané explained. "You'll need to untie it and then unroll it."  
  
The Gungan gingerly pulled the string open, and then unrolled the material. It turned out to be a flat surface with a drawing on it. In the middle was a large, lumpy object drawn in red – Tarpals guessed it was meant to symbolize a _maccaneek tahnk_. Around it were skinny figures drawn in browns, greens and rust, with one drawn in grey. The grey figure sported a set of whiskery lines on its face. Arlan had drawn blasters in the figures' hands, although there also seemed to be several blue circles complete with dotted lines to show trajectories.  
  
Yané began, "We think it's—"  
  
"Ussan 'tacking the _tahnks_," Tarpals finished. He nodded slowly. "Berry good. Thanka yous. Thiss'n be berry hepp-ful."  
  
"Everyone else sends greetings," Saché told him. "They're all well."  
  
"Good. Gledd to hear that'n," Tarpals said solemnly.  
  
"Minister Brandes also wanted us to remind you about a joint project?" Yané added. "She said you'd understand what she meant."  
  
The Gungan snorted in amusement. "Yiss. Mesa unnerstand."  
  
"We have to get back to the Queen, but we wanted to visit Zanté and the Nril family later, if that's all right," Yané said.  
  
Tarpals gestured to Rell Iss. "Yiss, mesa think so. Rell Iss kenn show yousan where theys are when yousa ready." Actually, anyone in the Sacred Place would probably know where the Nril family was. Tarpals had heard several reports of Gungans who complained about the presence of a _Naaboo_ child in the midst of the refugees; Kimma and Sen Tal had both been involved in a couple of scuffles with dissenters. At least one of the complaining parties had had to be carried away from the fight and treated for injuries.  
  
"What did he mean by 'helpful'?" Saché asked as they moved away. "About the only thing a picture like that would be useful for would be decorating the outside of a family's food preservation unit. Do Gungans even _have_ food preservation units?"  
  
"I don't know," Yané remarked in a puzzled voice. "I don't understand it, either."  
  
Tarpals turned his attention to the group entering the forest from the open meadow.  
  
Herns was grinning as he urged a _falumpaset_ down the ramp of a transport vehicle. "That was an experience!" he greeted Tarpals. "It worked!"  
  
"I'm not surprised," Tarpals remarked. "Your companion seemed less than pleased with the ride, though."  
  
"Did he? He didn't complain once on the trip," Herns said. "That one's got a tough enough hide, I think."  
  
"So it seems."  
  
"By the way, Peskis and Orrin are in one of the other transports. Orrin was well enough to ride back, as long as she doesn't do anything but sit." Herns grunted as the _falumpaset_ pranced sideways, tugging at the lead rope, apparently happy to be out in the open again. The animal finally settled and put its head down to graze. Herns glanced at the flimsy in Tarpals's hand. "Is that one of H'arlan's pictures? He seems to have spent a lot of time drawing in the last few days." The Gungan shook his head. "Apparently the _Naaboo_ wouldn't let him do anything else. They seem to think he's too young to contribute anything useful. Can you believe that?"  
  
Tarpals shook his head sympathetically. _What I really can't believe is that, given your initial attitudes about the _Naaboo_, you're now defending him_, he thought but said nothing. "Unfortunate, but perhaps not surprising. I'll leave you to take care of these two, then, Corporal. Excellent work, by the way." Tarpals slapped the _falumpaset_ on the flank and moved on.  
  
Peskis waved to him from beside one of the _Naaboo_ speeders. "Captain! Look who's well enough to travel!" Orrin was slouched in the back seat of the vehicle, but she managed a smile as Tarpals approached.  
  
He stabbed a forefinger at her. "Don't move, Lieutenant. Don't salute, don't sit up, nothing. That's an order."  
  
"Yes, sir," murmured Orrin. "May I salute Ven?"  
  
"No."  
  
Artil and half a dozen of the Third Mounted Patrol's riders had been guiding the newly arrived _Naaboo_ to the tactical meeting inside the Sacred Place; now the group clustered around the speeder to welcome their comrade back. They made much of her woven tunic and trousers, which were completely different from typical Gungan leather and suede garments.  
  
"Is that really Orrin?" remarked one rider. "It looks like her, but she's dressed like a _Naaboo_."  
  
Artil rubbed some of the clothing between his thumb and fingers. "You're right. Quick, let's get her into the Sacred Place and get some mud and water on this nice, clean suit before she forgets she's one of us!"  
  
"Touch the outfit and I'll shred your _haillu_," Orrin warned, her voice gaining strength.  
  
"Ooooo," teased several voices.  
  
"That's Orrin, all right," the original speaker declared, and everyone laughed.  
  
"I guess that means you won't be needing any help getting out of that thing," Artil added, eying the speeder.  
  
"That's right."  
  
"No, it's not," Tarpals corrected. "Rescue lift her out of there."  
  
Peskis and Artil each slid an arm under Orrin's knees and another behind her back and carefully lifted her out of the speeder. Orrin winced as she slid sideways against Artil. "I should probably have a healer look at the scalds...." She paused. "Ven, is Quin.... did she....?"  
  
Artil's _haillu_ drooped; the other riders shot him sympathetic looks. "No. Quin's gone."  
  
Orrin's hand remained on his arm. "Oh, Ven, I'm so sorry. Yr? The _sprattlings_?"  
  
"They're here. They're all as well as can be expected."  
  
Tarpals cleared his throat. "Take her to one of the healers. She stays there until she's certified as fit; if our comrades want to see her, they can visit her there. She's still on medical leave – no duties."  
  
"But, Captain –"  
  
"Enough, Lieutenant! You can barely walk yet. Besides, Saché and H'yané will have my hide if you're not properly treated."  
  
Orrin and Artil both stared at him. Then Orrin snickered and drawled, "Oh, of course, I'm sure two _Naaboo tsanin_ are enough to intimidate you!"  
  
Artil shook his head. "I don't know, Captain, she sounds completely recovered to me – mouthy, insubordinate...."  
  
"Yes. Fortunately, she's still on medical leave. We can blame it on delirium." Tarpals jerked his head toward the swamps. "Get her under cover, Ven."  
  
"Yes, sir." Artil paused; then just before he and Orrin were out of earshot, he added, "Shall I see if the medics want to bandage her mouth closed?"  
  
"Hey!" Orrin protested.  
  
Tarpals nodded sagely. "Now _there's_ an intriguing idea." 


	19. Chapter 19

The end result of the generals' planning session came as something of a shock.  
  
"That's it? _That's_ the battle plan? We're going to stand in the middle of a field and let the _maccaneeks_ shoot at us?!" exclaimed Artil.  
  
"It's my understanding we're going to be allowed to shoot back," Tarpals replied dryly. "But, yes, that's the plan. The _Naaboo_ are going to attack the brain that makes the _maccaneeks_ move and fight. If they can destroy it, the _maccaneeks_ will stop working. In the meantime, however, it will be our job to keep the _maccaneeks_ busy and out of the _Naaboo_s' main city, by whatever means necessary."  
  
"Great, just great! Not only are we going to get slaughtered on the battlefield, we're going to be led there by Jar Jar Binks! Binks! What ever possessed Nass to make him a _general_?!"  
  
Tarpals folded his arms and scowled out into the leafy stillness of the Sacred Place. "Do you want my honest opinion, or shall I just say 'capriciousness'?"  
  
Artil stopped pacing and peered at him. "What do you mean?"  
  
"I think that somewhere in the back of Nass's mind is the idea that, since we're going up against a superior force in what looks like a poor tactical move, there's a very good chance that Binks is going to one of the casualties of the battle. That way, Binks dies a hero, which erases some of the embarrassment he's caused his clan-family, and Nass is rid of him for good."  
  
Artil blinked several times, then comment wryly, "You say that like it's a bad thing."  
  
"Ven, believe me, I'll be the first to agree that Jar Jar Binks is a walking disaster looking for a place to happen, but no one deserves murder in the guise of altruism. I'm betting Nass knew exactly what he was doing when he gave Jar Jar his so-called promotion. Binks has barely the basic warrior skills."  
  
"Yeah, well...." Artil's voice trailed off.  
  
"Which is why he's riding with us during the battle."  
  
Artil's mouth fell open, then closed with a snap. "Why am I really not surprised by this?" He peered at Tarpals, a puzzled expression on his face. "What _is_ it with you and Binks? Why do you keep defending him?"  
  
Tarpals's gaze turned from the surrounding flora to the ground at his feet. "Because I know what it's like to grow up without a close family. To be shuffled from one relative to another, without any strong ties to any of them. Your children have you and your _essoin_, just as the Nril children have Kimma and Sen Tal and Hanar. Good, strong adults who take a genuine interest in them as an individual, not just as another resource or potential alliance-marriage prospect. The first time I felt that kind of closeness was when I took the initial warrior training as a child. The military became my family, more than my clan did. It was because of my military experience that I was adopted into the _Zalaaca_ Clan. On behalf of my civilian clan-family, I pledged to two _essoins_."  
  
"But you pledged to the third one for love," Artil finished for him.  
  
Tarpals's mouth twitched into an ironic smile. "Well, they were hardly going to turn down the chance to gain the family a Shrine Keeper." He glanced up as Rell Iss approached with of one of Ceel's aides. "Looks like the Generals are ready for our strategy presentation."  
  
As the two of them moved deeper into the Sacred Place, Artil ventured, "The gods won't let anything happen to Treece. She'll make it here safely."  
  
"Treece does seem to have a special relationship with them," Tarpals agreed. "I hope it's enough."  
  
A few minutes later he, Artil, and nearly twenty Generals and other officers stood clustered in a hilly, rocky portion of the Sacred Place.  
  
"Captain Tarpals," Ceel said, "you've had the most experience of any of us with fighting the _maccaneeks_. What can you tell us about their weaknesses, or any possible defense against them?"  
  
"Before I begin, General, I have something here that I think might be helpful." Tarpals carefully unrolled a leaf-like object on a flat, alter-like rock and weighted down the corners with small stones. Ceel, Yoss, Artil, and several other officers, including a newly promoted and much subdued General Binks, gathered around. "The _Naaboo_ call this a 'flim-see'. They use it to record both words and pictures." The Gungans eyed the drawing critically.  
  
"Goodness, Roos, did you draw that yourself?" drawled Yoss wryly.  
  
"No. This was provided by a member of my temporarily expanded command, who is even now continuing to work behind enemy lines," Tarpals responded, dead-pan. Off to one side, Rell Iss made a choking sound.  
  
Ceel tilted his head to study the drawing. "It looks like it was done by a child."  
  
"The recruit in question has begun his training rather early in life," Tarpals said evenly. He tapped the drawing with a forefinger. "This is a diagram of one of the _maccaneek tahnks_," he began. "You've all seen them, I'm sure, but let me explain to you what we learned during our three battles. They can be taken out from behind with mid-sized _buumas_, or from the top entry hatch with small hand weapons...."  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
"Captain." Lieutenant Peskis, astride his _kaadu_, rode up to Tarpals, Artil and Rell Iss as the three waited for the final call to arms. The Gungan Grand Army had begun assembling the night before, as the _militiagungs_ who served as cavalry riders, artillery fighters, and foot soldiers reported in to their various units. Nearly all of the Gungans from the outlying settlements had reached the Sacred Place, including a messenger from Tanoh Matawba village, who had informed Tarpals that Treece Vitay was alive and well, but delayed because of civilian families who were traveling more slowly than their soldier kin. Treece, not surprisingly, had opted to stay with them; not only would she lend them much-needed moral support, but was also a fair fighter in her own right.  
  
"Lieutenant." Tarpals blinked at Peskis in surprise. "Shouldn't you be with your unit?"  
  
"I'm on my way right now," the Ankuran replied. "But I wanted to tell you what an honor it was to serve with you since meeting you on the shores of Lake Paonga."  
  
"Likewise. I kept meaning to speak with your superior officer about your conduct on our journey, but whenever I started toward your campsite, something came up. I've had Rell Iss write up a general commendation for everyone, which has been left with one of General Ceel's aides who's remaining behind. I thought it best to do that before the battle." The side of Tarpals's mouth twitched into something distantly resembling a smile. "Since we don't know who among us might not come back."  
  
"That's thoughtful of you, Captain." Peskis's eyes twinkled. "I'm sure Captain Marl will find it a most enlightening missive."  
  
"She won't believe a glowing report of your activities? You don't strike me as being a discipline problem."  
  
Peskis actually grinned. "Let's just say that I'm more often known for leaving upheaval in my wake, and leave it at that, shall we?"  
  
Tarpals cocked his head and peered at Peskis. "You were an exemplary officer during our travels, Lieutenant."  
  
"I'm pleased you have such a high opinion of me, Captain." Peskis bowed in the saddle. The swamps around them were misted and hushed; only the occasional cry of birds and animals pierced the morning fogs. Here in the Sacred Place, the air was saturated with water, a comforting sensation for the Gungans as they waited.  
  
"Do you think this battle plan will work, Captain?" Peskis asked suddenly.  
  
Artil snorted in derision. Tarpals grimaced. "Honestly? No. The _Naaboo_ may see us as an army, but the truth is that most of our soldiers are farmers and fishers and crafters first, and fighters second – or third, or fourth. There's a huge difference between receiving annual training, and spending your entire life in the military. Our people may have the motivation, but they don't have the skill. Even with the tricks we learned on the journey to Tendesay, I don't think we have much of a chance of winning this battle."  
  
"But we're going anyway."  
  
"The Generals think this is our best hope," Tarpals remarked. "The _Naaboo_ are relying on us to keep the _maccaneeks_ away from their capitol city, and we're relying on the _Naaboo_ to stop the _maccaneeks_ for good. It's all going to come down to trust, and faith."  
  
"Well, I'm not much on faith, as you know, Captain," Peskis said. "And I get the impression that _Naamanah-rissah_ Artil here isn't big on trust, at least not for the _Naaboo_. Am I correct, Lieutenant?"  
  
Ven Artil tilted his head in a shrug. "Why should I trust the _Naaboo_? Most of them don't seem to trust us," he replied.  
  
"Well, if you were in their place, would you?"  
  
"Implicitly," Artil replied. "But that's because I know a superior lifeform when I see one."  
  
Peskis gazed at him for a few moments; then a wide grin split his face and he laughed, eyes squeezing closed with humor. "That's good, _Naamana-rissah_," he remarked. "Very good." Still chuckling, he slapped the reins against his _kaadu_'s neck and urged the animal forward.  
  
Artil stared after him, shaking his head. "I didn't think it was _that_ funny."  
  
Peskis waved a hand. "Forgive me. Pre-battle jitters, I suppose." But he didn't seem the least bit nervous. He reached into his tunic and drew out a thin tube. "I'm even carrying a good-luck talisman. You'll appreciate this one, Lieutenant – it was a gift from the _Naaboo_." He tugged the end of the tube open, pulled out a roll of flimsy, and unrolled it to show them.  
  
"That's one of Arlan's drawings," Rell Iss commented. The drawing depicted half a dozen stylized Gungans; interspersed among them were equally stylized pictures of humans. Several of the figures where holding hands or waving.  
  
"Yes. He gave it to me before I left Sigglisson. I promised I'd keep it safe, no matter how many _maccaneeks_ I had to fight." Peskis smiled fondly as he rolled the flimsy up and slipped it back into the tube, which he then tucked into his saddlebag. "He's a good child – they all are. I'll miss them."  
  
Rell Iss shifted in his saddle as his _kaadu_ shook its head, bridle jingling. "After the battle, when the _maccaneeks_ are defeated, there's no reason you shouldn't be able to go visit them."  
  
Peskis smiled at him. "The hope and faith of the young are an inspiration. May we all live up to your expectations on the field of battle, Rell Iss."  
  
"When it's all over, you'll have the grandest story of all to tell, Lieutenant," Rell Iss said stoutly. Tarpals smiled.  
  
"Indeed," Peskis murmured. "A story unlike any told before – the great battle fought by two peoples who spent generations distrusting each other." He turned to Tarpals. "I'm beginning to believe that the _maccaneeks_ don't stand a chance after all."  
  
"What's the saying?" asked Artil conversationally. "'Kill them all, let the gods sort them out'?"  
  
"Don't do it, Ven. This is supposed to be a holding action, not a full-out frontal assault," Tarpals reminded him. "We just have to keep them busy. No death-or-glory charges, understand?"  
  
"Yes, sir."  
  
A message horn sounded in the distance, trumpeting the first notes of the "assemble" command. Rell Iss sat up straighter in the saddle; both he and Artil turned their gazes to Tarpals. "That's the call to the infantry," Tarpals said. "Our call will be sounded shortly. Let's go find General Binks. Peskis, may the gods go with you."  
  
"And you, Captain. All of you. I hope they prove worthy of your faith." The Ankuran bowed, then turned his _kaadu_'s head and trotted away, vanishing into the mist without a trace.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
The Battle of Naboo was over.  
  
Despite more than five hundred dead, the Gungan Grand Army had held the field (in a manner of speaking), and won their people's freedom with the help of the _Naaboo_ pilots and the Queen's infiltration party. The Generals had declared the battle, if not an overwhelming and glorious success, at least a success, and the remaining soldiers had turned to the tasks of post-war clean up.  
  
The songs and stories, Rell Iss thought numbly, always seemed to have left this part out. All those tales of glory and courage and honor somehow failed to mention the aftermath of the great battles: the smell, the scavengers, the grief, the exhaustion. After the initial joy over the victory had come the heartbreaking tasks of identifying and counting the dead, tending the injured, notifying clans and individuals of losses. Rell Iss had watched as General Ceel carried the bodies of first one, then a second of his own children off the field. The aide had accepted help from an Ankuran Gungan in lifting a wounded soldier onto a stretcher, only to have Peskis's name die on his lips as he realized that the Ankuran was Rugor Nass himself, clad in the simplest of clothes and doing the same work as everyone else. He saw his captain and governor each put a shoulder to a sheet of metal and lift it off a fallen female rider, only to have her die a few hours later of blood loss and infection. At one point Ven Artil, staring down at a body, had spoken a few words of compassion, then revealed that he had resented the fallen Gungan for years for winning the affection of a female they had both courted. All around them were the sounds of grief and loss as the Shrine Keepers sang for the dead.  
  
When the first of the _Naaboo_ arrived on the field, Tarpals had given the group a single, contemptuous glance, then turned his back and treated them with the same stony indifference he showed toward all discomforts, from bad weather to boorish jokes. The rest of the Gungans had followed his example, leaving the _Naaboo_ to mill around uncertainly on the edge of the field until the Queen herself arrived. Rell Iss thought they looked like a flock of silly little _nunas_, fat two-legged reptilian creatures that often ran about in circles when chased. The Queen had come to offer _Naaboo_ help in caring for the injured and removing the dead. Ceel, Yoss, Nass and Tarpals had consulted and finally assigned tasks to the _Naaboo_ volunteers, most of whom worked in respectful silence among the Gungans.  
  
Rell Iss had followed Tarpals everywhere, noting names, shifting debris, relaying orders. At some point late on the second day, Tarpals had gently taken the writing stylus and hide away from him, passed them to Artil, then carried an exhausted Rell Iss off the field and back to his makeshift bed in camp, ordering him to rest. Rell Iss had returned to the field the next morning in time to see Treece finally arrive. The Gungans around her had offered her the greeting befitting a Shrine Keeper: finger- and thumb-tips together to form a circle at eye-level, eyes closed, bowing. She had sung a brief blessing for both the dead and the living. Rell Iss watched as his captain tossed aside the _maccaneek_ weapon he had lifted, walk to Treece's side, and begin the greeting. Treece had seized his hands before he could complete the gesture. For a few heartbeats they had stood staring at each other; then Treece opened her arms and two of them stepped into each other's embrace and stood clinging to one another in the middle of the field, politely ignored by the rest of the soldiers around them.  
  
"Married couple?" asked a _Naaboo_ male from over Rell Iss's shoulder. Seeing the puzzled look on the Gungan's face, he added, "Mated?"  
  
"Yiss." Rell Iss supposed that "mated" could be applied in this case, although it barely described the complex _essoia_ relationship that existed between Pledged individuals. Aware that he was staring at the pair, he turned back to his duty.  
  
"My wife and I were at work when the invasion began," the male said conversationally. "We were assigned to different prison camps. Neither of us knew whether the other was alive, dead, sick, what have you." He nodded toward Tarpals and Treece, who were now standing slightly apart but deep in conversation, Treece's hand on Tarpals's arm. "I've got a pretty good idea of what they're going through. We went through the same thing after we were released. I'm glad they're both all right." He looked back at Rell Iss. "I'm sorry."  
  
The Gungan blinked at him. "What'n yousa mean?"  
  
"I'm sorry for all this," the _Naaboo_ said, gesturing around at the wreckage and the bodies that were being removed from the field. "You people didn't deserve this. You had nothing to do with this entire blockade, but your people died for it anyway."  
  
The young aide peered around the battlefield. "Deysa didn' die for diss'n 'block-ade'," he said finally. "All'n dem died for freedom. Iff'n wesa don't hev dat, issn' no point to livin'."  
  
"True enough," the _Naaboo_ said. His voice took on a bitter tone. "At least your people stood up for themselves. Most of us just allowed ourselves to be rounded up like shaaks and herded off to camps. Strangest thing – the Neimoidians never really did anything to us except ask for information from time to time. We weren't expected to work, we were fed.... it's as if the Neimoidians didn't know what to do once they had taken control of the planet."  
  
The Gungans' anonymity had saved them from the brunt of the _maccaneeks_' force, Nass had remarked later. The invaders apparently hadn't even known of the Gungans' existence until landing. Despite the losses of life and property, Rell Iss knew, the invasion could have been much worse.  
  
Amidst the pain of loss emerged a few bright spots. Most of the wounded, thanks to the newly offered _Naaboo_ medical treatments, would survive. Many of the Gungans who had gone missing during the early days of the invasion were found alive and reasonably healthy in the camps that had housed the _Naaboo_. Rell Iss and the rest of the Third gleefully welcomed Jenais back to their ranks.  
  
Within days, the last of the dead had been taken to the Sacred Places, and the Gungan Grand Army moved its camp to the grasslands outside the _Naaboos_' capitol city of Theed. The army had been invited into the city as part of a joint celebration of victory, Tarpals informed the Third. Their unit would lead the parade into the city, a place of honor meant to acknowledge their courage in standing at the center of the _maccaneek_ attack during the battle. "I'm not sure which is worse," he confided to Artil later. "Facing the _maccaneeks_ or the _Naaboo_ ceremonial speeches."  
  
"At least the _Naaboo_ aren't likely to try to kill any of us," Artil remarked. "Unless –"  
  
" – We die of boredom?"  
  
"Or agitation." Both of them chuckled tiredly.


	20. Chapter 20

On the morning after their arrival in the grasslands, Rell Iss busied himself in the welcome work of caring for the Third Mounted Patrol's herd of _kaadu_. It was a familiar task and allowed him to politely ignore the throngs of _Naaboo_ who seemed to have nothing better to do than come and gawk at the army. 

So when yet another group of _Naaboo_ approached, Rell Iss concentrated a little more closely than usual on scrubbing Artil's mount, until a familiar voice interrupted his thoughts. 

"There they are! Rell Iss, is that you?" 

Melni Bibble was picking her way across the field, followed by Arlan Hepell, Irric and Nalla Eckener, and a crowd of other _Naaboo_ that Rell Iss assumed were either sightseers or family members. Bringing up the rear of the group was a _kaadu_ in full tack; several of the _Naaboo_ kept glancing over their shoulders at it. 

Melni, dressed now in an ankle-length robe of some shimmering material, broke into a trot. Behind her, moving at a much more dignified pace, walked Saché, Yané, and Hela Brandes. The rest of the _Naaboo_ children also broke into a run; for a moment Rell Iss was reminded forcibly of the _kaadu_ and _falumpaset_ stampede during their journey to Tendesay. Ven Artil poked his head around the _kaadu_ to laugh at the knot of children surrounding Rell Iss and excitedly jabbering at him in greeting. 

"Rell Iss, you just know everyone all of a sudden, don't you?" he drawled, and stepped around the _kaadu_ to be introduced. When he came to Hela Brandes's name, he made the finger-circle gesture at chest level and bowed. "Rep Brand-ess, my've heard great deal 'bout yousa. Issa pleasure to meet yous." He repeated the gesture to the elderly _Naaboo_ introduced as Sio Bibble, Melni's _grahnd-faather_. 

Brandes reached out to take his hand in a _Naaboo_ greeting. "Captain Tarpals thinks very highly of you, Lieutenant. Is that the right rank? Did you know it took three people to do your job on our trip to Tendesay?" 

Artil made a modest gesture with one hand. "Kippin' all'n dese pups out'n trouble issa tough job," he remarked. "But wesa manage." Grinning he turned to Rell Iss. "Go fetch the Captain. I suspect this is one group of _Naaboo_ he'll want to see." 

"How is Orrin?" asked Saché as the aide trotted off on his search. 

Artil laughed. "Shesa doin' grand. Kenn tell shesa bekk to full strength – shesa givin' every'one hersa 'pinion, h'asked for or not. But mesa t'ink shesa be glad seein' yousa. Talks 'bout yousan a lot." 

"I don't suppose you'd know anything about Corporal Herns?" asked Brandes. 

"Notta 'corp'ral' enny mo-ah," Artil replied. "Hesa wass wounded in the battle, but survived. Gen'ral Yoss hass given hims a battlefield p'romotion. Hesa 'pparently rallied half a cav'lry division during the battle and charged two of the _maccaneek tahnks_ – took them both out'n the fighting. The Gen'ral, shesa thinks hesa mebbe mekk an off'cer yet." 

"Well, good for him!" Brandes laughed. "I am glad -- he was prickly at first, but I guess the children won him over." 

Tarpals appeared a few minutes later and offered the members of his expanded command a formal salute, then allowed them to introduce him to various family members. 

"An' whosa thiss?" he asked, nodding at the _kaadu_. 

Melni shot her _grahnd-faather_ a sheepish look. "I don't know. It just showed up last night at our home, and was still there this morning. It followed us down here. I tried to get the tack off, but it's tied on really tightly." 

"It won't let anyone except Melni lead it," Irric added. "Not even Saché or Yané." 

"But at least it doesn't run away from us, either," Nalla added. 

The animal looked disturbingly familiar. Tarpals walked up to the _kaadu_, which sniffed him and bleated softly. The Gungan reached up to pat its neck, and then studied the saddle and blanket on its back. "Rell Iss, Ven, come look at this. Tell me if this looks like Peskis's tack." 

Rell Iss nodded. Artil sighed. "I'm afraid so." He glanced over his shoulder at the _Naaboo_. "And the animal walked all the way up the hill to their city? The only time a _kaadu_ would leave its rider like that is if he's dead and the bond is broken." 

At the sound of Peskis's name, the children clustered around expectantly. "That's Peskis's _kaadu_?" asked Arlan. "Could we find him so we can give it back?" 

"Peskis," Tarpals began, and stopped. He wasn't certain how much _Naaboo sprattlings_ understood about death. "Peskis hass gone to tell his stories to the gods," he said finally. 

Arlan looked puzzled. "Oh. When do you think he'll be back?" 

The Gungans exchanged glances; the _Naaboo_ male who had been introduced as Arlan's father put a sympathetic hand on the boy's back. "Mesa not sure," Tarpals replied. "Could be long-o time." 

"Peskis hedd lotta stories," Rell Iss added. He had brought the animal to a crouch and was opening the saddlebags to lay the contents out on the grass; the _kaadu_ turned its head to watch him, then swiveled its neck to nudge Melni, who was wiping her eyes. _She understands, I think_, Tarpals reflected. 

When Rell Iss pulled out the little carrying tube, Arlan looked hurt. "That's my picture! Peskis asked for it special!" Rell Iss passed him the tube, and the boy pried the end off. He grinned, surprising everyone. "He took my picture with him! See?" 

The tube was empty, the flimsy bearing the drawing of the Gungans holding hands with the _Naaboo_ gone. Artil, Tarpals, and Rell Iss stared at each other. 

"We saw him pack that," Artil remarked. "Why would someone take the picture, then seal the tube up and put it back underneath the rest of Peskis's supplies?" 

"I don't know," Tarpals replied, mystified. "How would anyone else even know where it was?" He gazed thoughtfully at the _kaadu_, which was alternating between pulling up tufts of grass and nuzzling Melni's sleeve, much to the disgust of her _grahnd-faather_. Melni patted the _kaadu_'s neck, and it crooned softly. 

"In the meantime, what are we supposed to do with this animal?" Sio Bibble demanded. "It's already made a mess of the gubernatorial office's lawn, not to mention following my granddaughter around like a _voorpak_." 

"Nothing wesa kenn do 'bout it," Tarpals told him. "Riders gott'n special bond with the _kaadu_. Thiss'n picked out Melni." The elderly _Naaboo_ looked ready to explode. "Wesa being here 'nother few days," Tarpals continued. "Wesa teach Melni to tekk care of hims." Tarpals began ticking points off on his fingers. "Hesa gonna need pasture, place to sleep...." 

"Hey!" Arlan exclaimed suddenly. "Peskis is back already! And he changed his clothes!" The boy bolted across the field toward a heavy-set figure in leather and suede robes that was gliding toward them. 

"Wait, Arlan, dat's—" Rell Iss began. 

Treece cocked her head in surprise at the _Naaboo_ child pelting toward her, but she obligingly crouched down to his height. The boy flung himself into her arms; the look she shot the rest of the group was one of pleased bewilderment. 

"You're back!" Arlan cried. He pulled away slightly. "Everyone said you had gone away, but—" He broke off, eyes wide, when he realized that the Gungan he had just hugged was a complete stranger. Then he turned and fled back to the group, to hide behind his father. 

Treece straightened and finished her walk toward them, serenely acknowledging the respectful gestures the Gungans made at her approach. Even Sio Bibble stopped sputtering. 

The Shrine Keeper smiled at Arlan, but spoke to Tarpals. "Well, that was a pleasant surprise." 

"He thought you were someone else, I'm afraid," Tarpals explained. 

"Oh. And here I just thought he was being friendly." She glanced around at the group of _Naaboo_, all of whom were staring at her. "Are these the _Naaboo_ you told me about? The ones who traveled with you?" 

"Yes." Tarpals switched to _Bassic_ and introduced the members of the group he knew. 

Treece gripped each person's hands in both of her own, smiling. At last she came to Arlan, who was still peeping around his father's leg. "An' diss'n Arlan. Hesa h'artist, yiss?" 

"Yiss. Hesa drew that picture of the _maccaneek tahnk_," Tarpals replied. 

"Berry nice meetin' yous," Treece said, again crouching down to the boy's height. 

Arlan pressed against his father and whispered, "I'm sorry." 

"Sorry for what'n?" 

"I thought – I thought you were – somebody else," Arlan answered. 

"T'ought I wass a friend of yoursan, p'raps?" Treece suggested. The boy nodded. 

Treece calmly folded her legs under her and sat on the ground. "How 'bout yousa tell me 'bout yoursa friend." She patted the ground beside her and, after glancing at his father, Arlan sat down next to her. 

"He knew all kinds of stories. An' I drew him a picture, 'cept it's gone. He was always laughing, an' he liked everyone." 

Nalla added, "He taught us all about plants and how to find them." 

"He knew how to make medicine," Irric said. The children were all clustered in a circle around Treece; Tarpals recognized it as an informal version of the Ceremony of Memories, a Gungan custom for remembering the dead. 

"He was one of the first of your people to show us friendship," Saché added. 

"He was brave enough to stand up for what he believed in," said Yané. 

"He had a kind and generous heart," Hela Brandes finished. "And he will be greatly missed." 

Treece nodded. "Ones who's goin' afore uss'n still 'live in oursan minds an' hearts," she said formally. "What wass hiss name an' clan?" 

The humans all looked around at each other. Finally, Brandes answered, "His name was Peskis, but I'm not sure what clan he belonged to. Perhaps the Captain would know?" 

Tarpals shook his head. "Wass from the Desna unit, but mesa don't know 'bout clan –" 

He broke off. Treece was staring up at him with a stunned look on her face. "Peskis? That's the name he told you?" she asked in High Gungan. 

"Yiss." Tarpals tilted his head and eyed her sideways. The humans were likewise staring at her. 

"Did you know him?" asked Arlan. 

"Yiss," Treece said faintly. "Mesa knew hims." 

"Was he related to you?" asked Yané. 

Treece shook her head. "No. No, wesa no related...." She visibly shook herself, and then went on to finish the ceremony. "Wesan all medd who wesan are wit' the he'p of others. Iss allus a good t'ing to remember the ones gone afore ussan. Iff'n yousan needin' hims, yoursan frien' will be dere, even iff'n yousan can't see hims. Remember hims." She climbed heavily to her feet, assisted by Brandes and Tarpals. "Roos, I need to talk to you," she said in High Gungan. "'Scuse'a ussan," she added to everyone else and the two moved off. 

"What's wrong?" 

Glancing around to make certain everyone was out of earshot, Treece leaned toward him and lowered her voice. "Roos, do you know what the name 'Peskis' really is?" 

"No," he replied, drawing the word out uncertainly. 

"It's one of the Secret Names," she replied. 

"What?!" 

"It's one of the Secret Names, the ones the Shrine Keepers use when we pray to the gods. No one other than the Shrine Keepers should know such a name. No one would be allowed to give one of those names to their children." One of the responsibilities of the Shrine Keepers was the bestowing of names upon Gungan _sprattlings_ when the child was old enough to be acknowledged as a member of the community. 

Tarpals huffed in confusion. "Wait. Just wait. Is it possible that there's some mistake? That the naming was an accident?" 

Treece was shaking her head. "Roos, no Shrine Keeper would commit that kind of sacrilege. Nor would any of us allow anyone to go around calling him- or herself by one of the Secret Names. It's just – unthinkable." 

His response of "Well, obviously someone thought of it" went unspoken. "I think there's a simple way to clear this up," he said finally. "Captain Marl of the Desna settlement would know him – he wore that area's Patrol band. I can send Rell Iss to ask her." 

"She won't know anything about him," Treece said firmly. 

Tarpals sent Rell Iss in search of Marl, and set Artil to teaching Melni and the rest of the _Naaboo_ about the care and training of _kaadu_, much to the discomfort of Melni's grandfather. 

Rell Iss returned shortly with the message that Marl did indeed have one member of her unit unaccounted for, and he was indeed an Ankuran, but the name hadn't been Peskis – he had called himself Kessen, and he had been with the unit for ten seasons. Prior to that, Kessen had come from another region of Gungan territory, and Marl couldn't remember which off-hand, or whether she had even checked his story when he first joined, come to think of it. Apparently he'd been some sort of herbalist, with a little military training, but had proven to be a quick study in Marl's command. Oddly enough, Rell Iss finished his report, Marl seemed to think that Kessen had drifted into that previous region from somewhere else, and had looked to be the same age as he was when he joined her command. "She joked that he must have found some special plant that kept him from getting older, because he certainly aged well," Rell Iss said. Tarpals thanked and dismissed him. 

"Perhaps he was a trainee to a Shrine Keeper in his youth?" he suggested. 

Treece shook her head. "Knowledge of the Secret Names isn't something you give a trainee. It would make more sense to me if he were exactly he seems to be – one of the gods themselves. Think about it – his body never recovered, a mysterious past, the fact that H'arlan's picture is gone, some of the comments you said he made during the trip, his _kaadu_ choosing another rider...." 

"Melni apparently wanted a riding animal, according to Orrin," Tarpals remarked. "One should always be careful with one's wishes." 

"The elder with her doesn't seem very happy about it," Treece noted, watching the group of Naaboo clustered around Melni, who was finally sitting in the _kaadu'_s saddle, despite her skirts. She was grinning broadly. 

"We'll figure something out. Nass has been making noises about sending some of our folk to live among the _Naaboo_ and teach them about us. I've recommended Orrin, as well as Kimma Nril and her family. She's taking care of a _Naaboo sprattling_ now – it might be a good compromise for them." 

He and Treece fell silent for a while, watching the activity around them: the humans and Gungans in a circle around Melni and the _kaadu_, the _Naaboo_ hovercar that was landing further down the field and discharging a group of Gungans who had accepted a ride, army trainers leading a herd of _falumpasets_ to a nearby lake for a bath and a drink. 

Drawing out of his reverie, Tarpals asked, "Just out of curiosity, are you allowed to tell me which of the gods the Secret Name of 'Peskis' belongs to?" 

Treece shot him a wry look. "It belongs to A'Pensik." 

"God of luck and chance." 

"And change." Her gaze followed his around the encampment, noting the clusters of brightly garbed _Naaboo_ amid the sea of browns, rusts, and greens of the Gungans and their earth-tone clothing. "World-shaking change that started with two small groups of individuals who, in order to survive, had to choose to cooperate, even though their respective people had distrusted each other for generations." Her expression changed to something resembling a smirk. "Sneaky of him. But of course, he _is_ the trickster among the gods." She gave Tarpals a sympathetic smile. "We're all used to the gods being in the Sky Home or the Deep Home, or just 'somewhere else'. But the old stories talk about them as real beings. I can't imagine our ancestors would lie about something like that." 

"It's going to take some getting used to – if it's true," Tarpals remarked. He shook himself mentally. "And I actually told him at one point that I didn't trust luck, either." 

"Well, he professed not to have much faith in the gods, so I'd say you're even," Treece commented. "Besides, enough of the old stories portray Peskis as being a rather nosy and fickle god, so he really can't blame you for being suspicious of luck." 

Before them, Hela Brandes separated from the group as the _kaadu_ stood up, Melni clinging to the saddle horn. The _Naaboo_ approached the two Gungans. 

"Are you all right, Captain? You look a bit distressed." 

Treece chuckled. Tarpals offered Brandes a wan smile. "Mesa fine. Chust hevving a talk 'bout the gods." 

Brandes's smile vanished. "I'm sorry about Peskis. We'll all miss him." 

Treece shot Tarpals a look. "Yiss. But hesa gone on'y in body. Wesa be seein' him 'gain, p'raps." 

"I suppose that's one way of looking at it," Brandes remarked. "Which reminds me – Edvic's family wants to hold a memorial service. I thought, if you had time, you might want to attend." 

Tarpals nodded. "Wesa mekk it a point for bein' there. Iss the least wesan kenn do. Hesa medd a valuable member of the Third." 

"I'll let his family know. Oh, and I'm afraid I have some bad news. Do you remember the joint project we discussed? The one that involved the Neimoidians?" Tarpals nodded. "Well, I'm afraid it's been cancelled. The Queen has sent Viceroy Gunray and his cronies away to Coruscant to stand trial. This invasion of theirs was outside the action allowed by their treaty. They're going to be punished for what they did here, but I'm afraid it won't be by us." 

Tarpals clicked his teeth together in annoyance. "Mebbe iss chust as well," he remarked. "Don't think wesa bein' satisfied with chust slapping thems anymore. Pr'olly some'a ussan wantin' to use theirsan hides for target practice." 

"I wouldn't blame you in the slightest," Brandes said. "I almost did that myself." 

"Wass a good shooting, that'n," Tarpals complimented her, and the woman laughed. 

"I was scared to death, but don't you dare tell anyone!" 

"Theysan won't be hearing it from mesa," he promised. 

"Mesa thinkin' yousa both already hedd yoursa 'joint pra-ject'," Treece remarked. "Yousa took two leedle groups an' medd one team out'n dem. Dat's a 'pra-ject' worth braggin' 'bout." 

"That alone would be a story worth telling the gods, don't you think?" asked Brandes. 

"Right 'nough," Tarpals agreed. He offered his left arm to Treece, and his right to Brandes. He nodded to the knot of spectators who were watching as Melni made her first attempt to guide the _kaadu_ in a circle. "Wesa introduce yousan all to the rest'n the Third – after all, yousan all part'n the same command." The three of them strolled across the grass to the join the combined group of _Naaboo_ and Gungans cheering Melni on. 

"Are your soldiers going to accept that?" Brandes asked. "After all, we're not Gungans, and we're certainly not military." 

"'Course'n theys will," Tarpals assured her. "Yousa remember the secont rule of the Third Mounted Pah-troll, Rep Brand-ess?" Treece rolled her eyes and gave Tarpals's arm an affectionate squeeze. "The kippton might'n not allus be right, but –" 

" – Hesa allus the captain," chorused the entire contingent of the Third present, _Naaboo_ and Gungan alike, and all of them burst out laughing together. 

~*~*~*~ End ~*~*~*~ 

Normally, I would place the following in a separate "chapter", but FFN doesn't allow authors' notes as separate chapters, so.... 

For those readers who have made it this far, congratulations, and thank you! I know that stories featuring minor background characters from the films and original characters don't usually have a broad appeal, so I appreciate your commitment. 

This author's note consists of my thoughts on various aspects of Star Wars, and gives credit for inspirations from other sources, so feel free to bail out if that sort of thing doesn't appeal to you. At the end of my ramblings is a bibliography of many of the sources I used for research on the Gungans; some of this comes from official Star Wars sources, some from research on Native American folklore and culture. 

First off, everything recognizable as Star Wars, whether in the story or the information below, belongs to George Lucas. No money was made for the writing of this story. (For one thing, this was so labor-intensive that there's no way anyone could have paid me enough to do it!) 

While I would love to take credit for creating all of Peskis's Gungan folk tales (only the story of the peko-peko is even remotely mine), I must admit to borrowing (in some cases heavily) from Native American legends. The story of Naa'a'orrek is a retelling of two versions of a story I read years ago; the best place to find it is probably _The Windigo's Return: a North Woods Story_, by Douglas Wood, although I've seen it elsewhere. In my version it's actually blended with a string story called "The Mosquito", which can be found (complete with do-it-yourself instructions) in a book called _Story Vine: Unusual Tales from Around the World_. 

Readers can decide for themselves who or what Peskis was (or wasn't). Stories of the Trickster can be found all over the world in many different cultures. The Trickster appears as Anansi the Spider, Br'er Rabbit, Coyote, and Raven, to name a few. The Trickster often relies on wits and cleverness to overcome opponents or achieve his goals, but sometimes he outsmarts himself. One of the most intriguing views of the Trickster can be found in Andre Norton's book _Fur Magic_. I'm not certain how authentic it is in terms of Native American legend, but her story reveals a somewhat darker side of Coyote, who calls himself The Changer. He is responsible for forming man, but by doing so changes the world in ways even he himself had not foreseen, thereby bringing about his own downfall. 

Anyone interested in exploring adaptations of Native American legends can start with the works of two authors: Joseph Bruchac, who has adapted many tales of the Eastern Woodlands Indians, and Paul Goble‚ who works mostly with the tales of the Plains Indians. Any decent library or bookstore will have copies of at least some of their works. Mr. Goble won the 1973 Caldecott Award for his book _The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses_ which features the author's distinctive artwork. There is also a "Christmas story" called _The Give-Away_, written by Ray Buckley; it sounds a great deal like Peskis's Bargain Story fragment. While this is not a traditional Native American legend or myth, it was written and illustrated by a man who is part Indian. 

Many of the Gungans' survival skills are also drawn from historic Native American culture. The circular houses Orrin and the two Handmaidens create are based on wood and bark houses used by the Native Americans in parts of the northeastern United States before the European explorers arrived, as are the bark cups and plates, the cooking skin, and various herbal remedies. 

The names of many of the animals in this story are taken from _The Wildlife of Star Wars_, one of my all-time favorite reference and coffee table books. (Yes, I really do have books like that out where everyone can see them. You should see the rest of my house....) The only creatures that are my own creation are the _flittavenss_; everything else is borrowed. 

The competitions the Gungans hold at the beginning of the rainy season are loosely based on the concept of the Festival of Warriors mentioned in the Episode I Adventure book of that name. It was written by Ryder Windham, and was available through Scholastic at one time. I finally had a chance to read it -- copies are hard to come by – but my competitions are very different from what's in the book. 

Captain Tarpals's first name in actually found in _Star Wars: The New Essential Guide to Characters_, published in 2002. The only mention of it is in the entry on Jar Jar Binks, where Tarpals actually gets two or three paragraphs. It doesn't seem to appear anywhere else. 

Gungan culture is a wide-open field in fanfic writing – very few other authors are doing it. While there is a great deal of information available in various sources, there is also plenty of room for exploration. One of the challenges of writing about these people is in making them understandable, but not human. I've drawn heavily on the natural history of Terrestrial amphibians: frogs, toads, salamanders, and their relatives. For example, one of the reasons my Gungans don't include reproductive rights in their "marriages" is because a Gungan is only sexually active a few times in his or her life. Otollo Gungans have a three-year cycle, Ankurans a five-year cycle. 

If you've ever studied amphibian reproduction, you know that the mating is done in water, the fertilization of the eggs occurs outside the female's body, and one pair of amphibians can produce dozens of eggs. Imagine that kind of reproduction technique linked to the human tendency to have sex on, sometimes, a daily basis. Without the long periods of sexual inactivity, the galaxy far, far away would be hip deep in baby Gungans! In a further effort to control their population, the ruling councils of most large Gungan cities allow only the strongest, smartest and most capable adults to breed, so would-be mates are expected to compete or pass a series of tests in order to be eligible. Somebody with Tarpals's rank and occupation would be sought after for both marriage and mating; even though he has three "wives" (at least in this story), Tarpals might not actually father any of their offspring; it would depend on each individual's mating cycle. The year that he's "interested", it's possible that none of his "wives" would be fertile. 

Thus, Gungans "marry", but the spouses might not be the biological parents of the children they "Take In". 

Bibliography: 

Books: 

Bresman, Jonathan. _The Art of Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace_. Ebury Press, London, 1999. 

Brooks, Terry. Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. Ballentine Books, New York, 1999. 

Buckley, Ray. _The Give-Away_. Abingdon Press, Nashville, 1999. 

Lewis, Ann Margaret. _Star Wars: The Essential Guide to Alien Species_. Del Rey, New York, 2001. 

Lucas, George. _Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace Movie Storybook_. Random House, New York, 1999. 

Pellowski, Anne, and Lynn Sweat. _Story Vine: a Source Book of Unusual and Easy-to-Tell Stories from Around the World._ Simon and Schuster, New York, 1984. 

Milliron, Kerry. _Star Wars: Episode I: Jar Jar Binks_. Random House, NY, 1999. 

Reynolds, David West. _Star Wars: Episode I Incredible Cross-Sections_. Dorling Kindersley, New York, 1999. 

Reynolds, David West. _Star Wars: Episode I: The Visual Dictionary_. Dorling Kindersley, New York, 1999. 

_The Secrets of Naboo (Star Wars Roleplaying Game)_. Wizards of the Coast, Renton (Washington), 1999. 

Wallace, Daniel. _Star Wars: The New Essential Guide to Characters_. Ballentine, New York, 2002 

Whitlatch, Terryl and Bob Carrau. _The Wildlife of Star Wars_. Chronicle Books, San Francisco, 2001. 

Windham, Ryder. _Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace Scrapbook_. Random House, New York, 1999. 

Windham, Ryder. _Festival of Warriors_. Scholastic, New York, 2000. 

Windham, Ryder. _Pirates from Beyond the Sea_. Scholastic, New York, 2000. 

Windham, Ryder. _Rescue in the Core_. Scholastic, New York, 2000. 

Wood, Douglas. _The Wendigo's Return: a North Woods Story_. Simon and Schuster, New York, 1996. 

**Glossary of Gungan terms**

  
_Atlatl_: a sling-like weapon used to throw a _buuma_ (blue energy sphere). (See _Star Wars: Episode I Visual Dictionary_, page 41. Side note: here on Earth, an atlatl was actually a specially carved length of wood that was fitted over the throwing end of a spear or javelin, allowing the caster to throw the spear further and more accurately.)  
  
_Aiwha_: an aquatic creature found in Naboo's oceans. It resembles a manta ray with a bird-like face and thick tail. One appeared briefly in _Attack of the Clones_ as a riding animal on Kamino. The Gungans use them for the same purpose (according to the book _The Wildlife of Star Wars_, by Terryl Whitlatch and Bob Carrau, pages 128 - 129).  
  
_Bassic_: the Gungan term for Basic, the language spoken by the humans of Naboo (and most of the rest of the galaxy). 

  
_Bon-gho:_ a type of small submarine, triangular in shape, used to transport people and cargo. Often misspelled as "bongo" by the humans of Naboo. 

  
_Buumas:_ spheres of blue energy, usually thrown by hand or with an _atlatl_. The energy shocks an animal's nervous system, stunning it so the hunter can tie it up and take it home alive. Generally misspelled (and mispronounced) as "boomers" by the humans of Naboo. An _irduul-buuma_ is the largest sphere that can be thrown without special equipment; it's about the size of a beach ball. 

  
_Caadrey:_ the personal aide to a military commander. Generally runs errands, relays orders, and does clerical work. _Caadreys_ frequently become officers. 

  
_Cesta:_ a long pole with two points on the end; a palm-sized _buuma_ can be fitted between the two points and thrown, as was seen in the Gungan battle sequence in _The Phantom Menace. Cestas_ can be used as killing weapons, unlike _electropoles_, which deliver a painful or paralyzing shock but are generally non-lethal. (See _Star Wars: Episode I Visual Dictionary_, page 41.) 

  
_Chesna-recorr:_ (translates almost literally as "hunter-speak") a hand and finger sign language used by hunters, soldiers, and any other Gungan who wants or needs to speak without making sounds. 

  
_Dessana il-parntar:_ "Stone of Memory". A flat stone inscribed with the name of deceased individual, often decorated with carvings, painted images, or other items that symbolize the deceased. It is generally hung from a cord, and placed in one of the Sacred Places to commemorate the dead. 

  
_Electropole:_ a long pole with a tip that delivers an electrical shock; the butt end has a curved section used as a hand-grip. (We see Tarpals carrying one early in _The Phantom Menace._) _Electropoles_ were developed to paralyze prey animals so the creatures could be captured live. (Gungans prefer their food live or freshly killed.) Also used as a sort of cattle prod on occasion. 

  
_Essoan: (pronounced "ess-OH-ann")_ The male member of a Pledged couple: basically, a "husband", although other males also pledged to the same female would call each other an _essoan_ as well. Closest human term would be "life partner". 

  
_Essoia: (pronounced "ess-OY-ah")_ The closest human equivalent would be marriage, although that's not entirely accurate. Gungans can have multiple partners of either gender, as long as everyone in the relationship agrees. Married couples are referred to as "Pledged". Males generally Pledge to females and vice versa, although same-gender Pledges occur as well. Marriage in Gungan society is done for economic, social, and personal reasons, and, due to Gungan reproductive cycles, tends to be a completely non-sexual relationship. 

  
_Essoin: (pronounced "ess-OH-inn")_ The female member of a Pledged couple: basically a "wife", although other females pledged to the same male would call each other an _essoin_ as well. Closest human term would be "life partner". 

  
_Falumpaset:_ large, dromedary-like mammals used as riding animals and beasts of burden. Very stubborn and hard to control. Governor (Boss) Nass rides one in the parade at the end of _The Phantom Menace._ (More information available in either _The Wildlife of Star Wars_ on page 94, or the databank entry on _falumpasets_.) 

  
_Fambaa:_ huge, dinosaur-like reptiles with four powerful legs and a thin tail. Used by the Gungans to carry extremely heavy loads, like shield generators. A _fambaa_ generally requires at least two handlers. (More information available in either _The Wildlife of Star Wars _on pages 106 - 107, or the databank entry on fambaa.) 

  
_Farseeins:_ at its simplest, a pair of binoculars especially designed for the Gungan face and eyestalks. (See _The Art of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace_, page 88 or _Star Wars Episode I: Visual Dictionary_, page 41.) Term is also used to describe any device that allows someone to see a long distance. 

  
_Flittavenss:_ a small, brownish bird with a long beak. Similar to a kiwi, but able to fly. 

  
_Goff:_ an enormous reptavian with a gnarled beak. ("Reptavians" are creatures that have both reptile and bird characteristics.) They're basically a legend among the Naboo because they're so seldom seen. Harvesting the feathers is the most common test for Gungan career military personnel wishing to become officers. (See _The Wildlife of Star Wars_, pages 130 – 131.) 

  
_Grahnd-faather:_ Gungan pronunciation of the Basic term "grand-father". 

  
_Guungan:_ Gungans' term for their own race. It basically translates as "the People". 

  
_Haillu: _the long, floppy Gungan "ears" on the back of the head. (See _Star Wars: The Phantom Menace Visual Dictionary,_ pages 36 - 37, or the Databank article on Gungans.) Gungan females in particular often wear their _haillu_ tied back at the base (the thin part that connects the _haillu_ to the back of the head), although Governor Nass also does so in _The Phantom Menace._ In my stories, Gungans use their _haillu _to display aggression by raising them slightly; _haillu_ also serve to help regulate body temperature by dissipating heat into the air or water. It's not unusual to see strings of feathers, shell, carved bone, beads of various materials, or other decorations hanging from the base of Gungan _haillu_. 

  
_Hue-min:_ Gungan pronunciation of "human". Gungans actually distinguish between the Naboo and humans from other planets, now that they know such beings exist.  
  
_Insall ta-diraada: _the Gungan term for "good evening". 

  
_Ipsil:_ a type of tree with small, fluttery leaves that produces a nourishing seed.  
  
_Kippton:_ Gungan pronunciation of "Captain". The actual Gungan word for the closest of their military ranks is unpronounceable by humans. 

  
_Kaadu:_ tall, two-legged reptilian creatures used as riding animals. (For more information, see _The Wildlife of Star Wars,_ pages 104 - 105, or the Databank entry on kaadu.) 

  
_Maatra:_ female parent in a Gungan family. Would be considered a mother by humans, although she is usually not the biological parent of the children.  
  
_Maccaneeks:_ Gungan word for droids (term taken from _The Phantom Menace_)  
  
_Militiagung:_ part-time soldiers in the Gungan army (basically most of the adult population). (See either the _Star Wars: Episode I Visual Dictionary_, page 40, or the Databank entry on the Gungan Grand Army.) The term is used only when the individual is actually serving in a military capacity; the rest of the time, they're civilians.  
  
_Naaboo:_ the human residents of Naboo, Gungan pronunciation. The Gungans do not use this as the name of their planet, having their own term for it.  
  
_Naamana (nah-MAH-nah):_ a Gungan military rank, roughly equaling that of a lieutenant.  
  
_Naamana-rissah (nah-MAH-nah riss-AH):_ the second-in-command of a Gungan military unit. 

  
_Nar-gletch:_ (Basic translation: "in shadow") A large, lion-like swamp predator, the _nar-gletch_ (or "narglatch" to the Naboo) has heavy shoulders, powerful jaws, a smooth dark grey hide, and a fan-like growth of cartilage on the end of its tail (according to _The Wildlife of Star Wars,_ pages 124 - 125). At one time, the test of a Gungan chieftain was to stalk a _nar-gletch_ and actually touch it, then get away alive. Not often done in modern times. 

  
Nuna: a plump, flightless, birdlike creature. Curious, but not terribly bright. They breed very quickly and provide food for many swamp predators. (See _The Wildlife of Star Wars,_ pages 102 - 103, or the Databank entry on nunas.) 

  
_Nyork:_ a small creature of the swamps. Interestingly enough, _The Wildlife of Star Wars_ mentions them, but does not provide a picture. I tend to think of them as little, nippy fish, or possibly salamander-ish. 

  
_Orrek:_ monster. Naa'a'orrek (_Naah-AH-ore-eck_): Hungry Monster. Kynaalat-h'orrek (_Key-nahl-ATT-hore-eck_): Thunder Monster. 

  
_Paatra: _male adult in a Gungan family. Would be considered a father in a human family, although he is usually not the biological parent of the children. 

  
_Peko-paykosa-avenss:_ "blue-sky-flier". A large bird with bright blue plumage, a heavy beak, manta-ray-like wings, and a long tail. Associated with good fortune, according to the entry at the official Star Wars site's Databank article on peko-peko. The Gungan term, however, is straight from my own imagination). These birds are often seen as a symbol of a long and happy marriage, since a pair will mate for life. 

  
_Pikobi:_ a flightless bird-like reptile. Pikobis have stunted wings, webbed feet, and long beaks and tails. (See _The Wildlife of Star Wars,_ pages 100 – 101.) 

  
_Pyrus: _a specially treated sphere of energy that releases its heat and light evenly over a period of time. Used to heat certain medicines. Gungans don't use fire, and indeed, have no word for it, other than an ancient term that means "devourer"; the word is believed to have come from the time when Gungans lived all over Naboo and would have possibly seen brush or grass fires on the plateaus. 

  
_Repsanna:_ (often shortened to "Rep") title for a member of a Gungan governor's advisory council. 

  
_Shaupaut:_ a mammal that resembles a cross between a monkey and an opossum. (See _The Wildlife of Star Wars,_ page 120.) 

  
_Silo'in (SEE-low-in): _the female child in a Gungan family. May not necessarily be the biological child of the adults. 

  
_Sprattlings:_ children 

  
_Tahnk: _Gungan pronunciation of "tank". 

  
_Terazod:_ a large, amiable swamp mammal, resembling a deer with a long tail and a rather horsy face. The tail has several blunt, hornlike stubs on the end, and a bony spike grows down the center of the face. (See _The Wildlife of Star Wars, _page 95.) 

  
_Uuray: _a strong, sleek fish, generally blue and yellow in color. The Gungans hunt them as sport fish (according to _The Wildlife of Star Wars, _pages 84 - 85, which calls them "rays"). (Author's note: if you get a chance, read over the section on "Fishes of the Abyss" and see if you find yourself humming a certain tune from _The Sound of Music. _Seriously!) 

  
_Zalaaca: _a large, panther-like predator of the swamps. _Zalaacas_ typically have bluish hides, a parrot-beak muzzle, and pointed spurs on the backs of their hind legs. They are occasionally caught and trained as riding animals by the Gungans, but this is rare (according to _The Wildlife of Star Wars,_ pages 118 - 119).


End file.
